Bring Down The Sky
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: What lies beyond the sky? What stars and different races await beyond the precipiece of our vision? Unfortunately, he's about to find out what awaits us beyond the starry sky. The hard way. NarutoxJackxTali! Co-Written by myself and Uzumaki Crossover!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: NeonZangetsu: This is a story co-written by myself and Uzumaki Crossover! The pairing shall be NarutoxJackxTali, and shall span across all three Mass Effect games. I give credit to Crossover for presenting me with the idea in the first place, as I never would have thought of it otherwise. I sincerely hope you enjoy the total product!**

**Uzumaki Crossover: And I got this idea collaborating with Storylover213. **

**Nz: And thus, together, we give you our great masterpiece...BRING DOWN THE SKY!**

_Try to touch her. Just try. You won't like what happens..._

_~Subject Crimson._

_**Crossfire**_

He laid there, the breath of life fading rapidly from his lungs.

_Not like this._

He'd lost.

_It can't end like this..._

He'd been defeated.

_Not like this!_

After a long and violent battle against Uchiha Sasuke, his longtime friend and rival, the Battle of the Valley of the End was over. Uchiha Sasuke had won. And he, Uzumaki Naruto, had lost. He had failed; because he was about to die, and his promise to Sakura would die with him. Perhaps this was for the best. It was better that he die for his failure than return to an expectant teammate and deliver the news of his failure.

Victory was his, but it was a bittersweet one; because it had come at a terrible cost. Straining, the genin turned his head, searching for the prone form of Uchiha Sasuke. He'd spoken the truth on that day, after all. He'd take on all of Sasuke's hatred and die with him.

He wanted to speak; wanted to call out, desperate to see if his friend-turned-enemy was still alive. Despair threatened to overtake him WHEN he saw the Uchiha standing over his body, his soon to be corpse. The avenger's eyes wept tears of blood. He was quivering, struggling to reign his despair in. Despite himself and despite the pain, Naruto gave a small smile. _So that's how it is, Sasuke._ He tried to laugh; it was a bitter, hollow, sound. It stank of despair and rattled off into a harsh coughing fit. _Damn._ Must've pierced a lung or something; because he could _taste_ the blood now.

He tasted the stuff when he breathed.

He felt in his lungs, cloying each breath, clinging to him as he choked on it. His once pristine tresses were sullied by it; the dampened locks cling to his face and forehead even as he struggled to squint through bloodshot eyes. No matter. He'd be joining him soon. Yup. Not much longer now. By the time Kakashi-sensei arrived, he'd be long gone. The Uchiha stared down at him, the inarticulate ultimatum communicating more than words ever could. The thought of his death didn't trouble Naruto, strangely enough.

His only regret was a silly one; he was going to die a virgin.

It was silly. Stupid.

_Childish._

And yet he still regretted it. Ero-senin would mock him incessantly in the afterlife for this. Assuming there even was an afterlife. Naruto had never really been one to pray, but he found himself praying now. Maybe he didn't want to die yet. Maybe he wanted to live just a little bit longer. _Ha!_ Who was he kidding? He was a dead man. If exhaustion did not do the deed, than blood loss would.

No medic could possibly hope to heal these wounds. Not even Kyuubi could hope to patch him up now. They'd exerted all their chakra, the both of them, and he was beginning to feel faint. And even should he live, should he somehow survive these wounds and live on, what was there to live for? He'd lost, to his best friend. He wasn't worthy of being title of Hokage, nor was he in any position to earn it after all he'd done.

It was sad, really.

He'd never had the chance to live. Never got to go on a date with Sakura-chan. Never kissed a girl. Never had sex. Never raised a family. Never became hokage. Never. There were too many 'never's' in that sentence for his liking. Looking back, he'd lived his entire life as a shinobi; because it had been all he'd ever known. He'd grown up expecting a career as a ninja. As a trained killer. He'd never really thought about it like that. Until now. Until he lay here, dying, soaked in his own blood and gasping for air...

"You idiot." Sasuke's words were dark, distoretd, strained. He was blurred against the rain as though one were looking at him through tinted glass. As he looked on the colors of his world began to shift and to bend, until he could make no distinction between the two; between sight or sound or any of his other five senses. He didn't know whether it was intentional or deliberate

Naruto wept as he lay there, in the river, drifting away into nothingness...

* * *

><p>He woke to blackness.<p>

It came as less a surprise, more a relief, when he finally awoke.

At first, anyway.

His first clue that he had returned from the land of nightmares came when darkness truly fell. The visions evaporated, and the voices went with them. For a very welcome period, there was nothing to see or hear, or even think. He could just rest, and be.

Then new noises began to intrude on the peaceful silence: the whirring of rustling cloth, low-pitched whispers and murmurrs from someone, a fizzing, spitting noise that could have been running water, and other sounds that had no place in his serenity. His heart rose at the sound of a respirator rising above the others. The faint sticking point between each cycle was horribly familair.

Someone_-who is it-_spoke:

"Sir... Subject Crimson is regaining consciousness."

_Subject what?_

"Keep him sedated until the procedure is finished." Came the immediate reply. "If he wakes up in the middle of the procedure...

_Procedure?_

For a moment there was only silence.

_Wait a second._

Then:

"Yes, sir." Was the answer.

_Wait a second!_

Naruto raged against invisible bonds to move limbs he couldn't feel. The babble of noises faded for a moment, and then returned, this time with light and sensation accompanying it. A needle swelled before his vision, encompassing his entire existence in a single instant. Then the rest of the world swam dizzyingly into focus. He was strapped prone to a medical table in the middle of an operating theater. Multicolored tubes and wires ran from several places in his body to dark machines stationed around him, and stretching up to the high ceiling above.

A steady bleating that had to be his pulse spiked irrevocably; rocketing skyward with his heartbeat.

"The sedative, now!" The voice commanded from somewhere beyond this terrifying vision. "Double the dosage!"

_"Sir!"_

There came a sharp, pricking sensation in Naruto's neck. An eerie, icy calm washed over him, taking the terror away with it.

"Sedative injected." A woman's voice swooned from somewhere above and all around him. "Hearbeat dropping...Vitals stabilizing...He's stabilized, sir." Momentarily, the pain in Naruto's eyes dimmed. He struggled to speak, to struggle, to say something, anything, but the darkness took him in the form of those damned black crows and the pain threatened to obliterate his existence once more, piquing ever higher until...

There was only the blackness.

* * *

><p>Naruto awoke in a haze of pain. His eyes felt like they were on fire; every blink was like shards of glass through his retina. His chest ached so much that it took an act of will just to inhale. The air he inhaled was redolent of medicinal smells. He almost choked on the cloying odors, but just imagining how much coughing would hurt made his throat relax.<p>

Whatever obscure scene he had found himself in, it had passed. He closed his eyes and let out a small sob of relief, but refused to lower his guard all the same. The darkness had still yet to lift from his vision; because his eyes remained painfully scrunched shut. Whether a refusal on his part or simply his body coping with the trauma, he simply could not bring himself to see a thing.

An unspecified amount of time later left his throat dry and his body reeling. Slowly, he came around, the sights and sounds of the world as he knew it proving too much for his slumber once more. He cracked open sleep-gummed eyes to see, to finally _see_ a hand resting lightly on the blanket over his sternum. Attached to the hand was a wrist, to the wrist, an arm and, as his gaze traced the length of said appendage, he found himself staring into the most wonderful pair of pale, lavender eyes.

_Lavender._

And _then_ he woke up.

He creaked his eyes open, head spinning. He looked around to find himself in a dark room; it looked like they'd tossed him into a cell. He groaned. _Great._ Not only had he lost his battle with Sasuke, he was now in some strange place. A place he did not recognize. It was all dark blotches and hard floors and unyielding steel. He felt his way along the wall, searching for a light switch, for some form, any form, of illumination.

Finding none, he found himself to be alone in the room.

"Hello?" He called out, hoping someone_-anyone-_would answer him.

Someone did.

The air grew suddenly thick, heavy against her skin, clogging their ears. A horrible shriek split the night as the sky itself screamed, and then the wrath of the heavens, all unseen, struck the earth. _Struck him._ Naruto felt his every synapse fire, fry beneath the sudden jolt that crawled through his skin.

He flew.

_Literally._

His feet left the floor and he was sent hurtling across the room. His back struck something hard and black spots speckled between his vision. A tiny hand fisted around the lapels of his jacket, giving him full view of a pair of glowing knuckles. Knuckles that plowed into his face, nearly breaking his nose and driving him to the floor. He tensed in preparation of another blow, but when none came, he was left to deal with the full explosion of pain left

"Ow!" He cried, glaring bloody red daggers in the direction of his attacker. "What the hell was that for?"

"I should ask you the same thing!" A gritty voice answered. "What the hell are you doing in here!"

"I don't even know where here is!" He squinted through the dark, searching for the one who had struck him. Dimly, he made out a silhouette through the blackness. A person? It was...a girl? He scrubbed at his face with the back of a hand, wincing as it came away scarlet. But the sight of blood didn't frighten him. He'd shed blood many a time during his time as a genin, and this was no exception. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch, though.

"Come to think of it, neither do I." his attacker said suddenly.

_"Eh?"_

"I said I don't know where here is either, dumbass!"

"So..."

The girl eyed him speculatively.

"What, so they _didn't_ send you in here to fight me?"

"Why the hell would I attack you!" Naruto exclaimed aghast, glaring at the girl. "I don't even know you!"

"So...what?" He noted her tone was slightly less harsh than before. "They just threw you in here?" She'd stopped waving her hands, and now, she scrutinized him. "You think I'm supposed believe that? You're full of_-aaargh! That's fucking bright!"_

The lights snapped on so suddenly that her words ended in a cry of surprise and pain. On that they agreed. Naruto groaned, shading his eyes, squinting against the harsh light as it flooded his retinas. Dimly, he became aware of the girl's ranting; a harsh snarl of curses and obscenities that would make even a jonin blush. Overwhelmed, both by their incessant din and the light and the sound, the genin clamped his hands over his ears.

It was a fruitless endeavor. He could see a dim outline of his surroundings now; gradually becoming aware of his fellow prisoner. It was girl. The high pitched shrieks and swift fury were from her as she pounded against the glass window made that much obvious. Dimly, he could make out figures beyond the glass. Adults? Children? He couldn't be certain, and, now that he thought of it, he didn't want to be. Anyone who would strap children to a table and _experiment on them_ was not someone he wanted to meet.

"Hey, assholes!" She screamed, drumming her fists against the one-way mirror. "Let me outta here! LET ME OUT! Or at least get this dumbass outta here!" Naruto tried to try, he really did. He tried to ignore her; tried to pretend that she wasn't there, what with her shouting and screaming and swearing-

In short order, it became too much to bear.

"Be quiet." He hissed, his chewing on his lower lip. She only pounded the glass harder than before. "I said be quiet!" Abruptly, the words died in his throat.

She rounded on him, glaring bloody red daggers.

"What the hell did you just say to me?"

_"Shut. Up."_ Naruto demanded, his eyes gleaming a gruesome red. "Just shut up and let me think!" He pinioned the girl with a gaze. A low, warbling hiss left the child's lips, as if she couldn't believe what he'd just said. Her eyes were wide, her pupils dialated, her fists glowing but she did not attack. Naruto stood before her and came closer, _and still_ she did not attack. Naruto took a small step forward, his palms splayed to show that he meant her no harm.

_Then_ she attacked.

"HEY!" Naruto cried, snatching her off the ground with one hand before she could gauge out his eye. "What the hell! I thought we were past this!" The girl shrieked at him as he caught her by the scruff of her neck, hoisting her upward. He dangled her there a moment, making it clear he wasn't about to put her down without a fight. She didn't take kindly to that. Not at all.

"Put me the fuck down!" She swore at him, her boots ineffectually striking his chest. Naruto bit back a laugh. Without that power, she was declawed. Little more than a tightly strung ball of anger and hatred. It was kind of cute, really. So was she.

She was a scruffy little thing, her brown hair matted, her clothes ragged, her eyes fierce and wild, like that one Akatsuki member, Kisame. _She looks more like a cub,_ Naruto thought to himself. It was almost laughable. If not for that violent display of cray power earlier, he might have found her words amusing. Her power certainly wasn't. He set her down and he resisted the urge to ruffle her hair. She'd probably blow his arm off if he did that. Still he had to wonder what that power was. Was it some sort of Bloodline?

Still, she couldn't have been more than seven years old. She had those eyes that he saw in the mirror. Eyes filled with pain. Tormented eyes. Eyes that knew what it was like to suffer, to know unbearable agony.

"What the fuck do you want with me?" The girl demanded.

Biting back his initial surge of anger, Naruto extended a hand.

"Well, I haven't got a clue. I was fighting….and then I wake up in some crazy place, and now I am here. The name's Naruto by the way." The blond offered. She slapped at his hand, but he refused to lower it. Naruto, after all, was nothing if not persistent. It would take more than a slap on the wrist to dissaude him. He only prayed she wouldn't try a attack like her previous telekinetic shove.

She glared at him, hard, jaded.

_"Jack."_ The word was guarded, bordering on tentative. Her lower lip trembled...before she sank her teeth into it to stop the trembling. Tough one, this girl. _She must've led a hard life,_ Naruto thought to himself, reflecting back on his own troubled past as a youth in Konoha. Granted he wasn't quite as violent Jack, but then again, no one had taken him from his parents and experimented on him for the duration of his young life.

Naruto offered his most winning smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack." Naruto paused and then asked, "So can you tell me what that power you suddenly used on me?" The girl eyed him suspiciously before she saw the pure confusion on his face. The little girl was still guarded with him, but he at least needed to know if he was sent here.

"You really don't know shit, do you?"

Naruto gawped.

He'd heard worse words from his sensei. Not from a child. Certainly not the child standing before him. It was ghastly. Appalling. So naturally, in his infinite wisdom, he made the mistake of doing something about it.

"Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

His words seemed to set something of in Jack; because she went totally still.

"Seriously, I thought they'd teach you better than-

Her attack was as sudden as it was unexpected.

With a shriek of pent up fury, she flung her hand forward and cracked him across the jaw. _Not gently._ He hadn't expected any sort of force behind the blow; leaving him quite surprised when the glowing fist sent him sprawling. Stars-entire planets-exploded before his vision, and the next thing he knew, a tiny hand had closed around his throat. Too small to strangle him, he realized, but more than enough to pin him in his weakened state.

"Don't you fucking talk about my parents." The girl snarled, her words little more than a feral hiss. "Don't you fucking dare!" She raised a hand her fingers curling into another glowing fist of doom. Naruto only had enough time for one thought.

_"This is going to hurt, isn't it?"_

And then there was only the clinging blackness.

* * *

><p><em>(Meanwhile, in parts unknown)<em>

The Illusive Man read a data pad in one hand while he smoked his ever present cigarette. His strange blue eyes read each word with great interest. The boy that appeared in the front of his Cerberus facility on Pragia and had some interesting qualities that he ordered his men to exploit.

What was it about this strange boy had intrigued him so much? Well, he was the first human ever to have natural Biotic power whirling inside him. He had a strange natural network that generated that power. Subject Zero was already powerful, but this boy was valuable and if he could make those two eventually have a kid…his organization would become even more powerful.

Reading further, it seemed that his network was made of natural Element Zero. Astounding! Then there was this red energy that flowed through the boy's system at random intervals. The probes said that they found a second consciousness within the red energy and that it was concentrated around the boy's stomach, where a very intricate tattoo was located.

After hearing this, he'd immediately sought ways to get rid of this second consciousness to make the boy even more powerful. The report he was reading was the results of those attempts. The nanobots his men injected into the boy had infected the red energy. Of course it fought, but he made his equipment to be the best and he won. The side effects was that the red energy over took the blue and he was sure that without a doubt, that the boy's biotic power would be red when he used it.

Now….now came the real experiments to make the boy stronger for the good of humanity.

There was also the matter of finding where this boy came from. He could use more warriors that were so interesting.

* * *

><p>(<em>Back with Naruto and Jack.<em>)

"Hey."

Naruto groaned.

Something sharp was prodding his gut; because he felt an intense discomfort between his ribs. He rolled over. _Strange._ Had the floor always been this soft? He pushed at the thing prodding him and was rewarded with the creaking of springs; a small hiss of pain.

"Just a few more minutes, Sakura-chan...

_"Who the fuck is Sakura?"_

Alarmed, his eyes burst open.

He was in a bed.

For a second, he dared to hope that this was all just a dream; a wild flight of fancy, some figment of his imagination. He was wrong. He opened his eyes and was immediately greeted by the bright white glare of his cell.

Jack sat in the bed opposite him, nursing a healthy bruise across her jaw and what looked like several blotches across her arm. Her knees were tucked against her chest, her head bowed, her body trembling. _She might be crying,_ he realized, with a sudden pang of sorrow.

Naruto forced himself upright, propping himself up on his elbows. He saw the bruises and narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

Jack glared at him for a moment. Then she seemed to soften, if only marginally. "Assholes dragged me out after they saw me beating you up. Of course they also had another experiment lined up for me, so that was just an excuse." She growled the last part, eyeing him to see what his reaction would be.

Naruto himself growled at the thought, nay, the mere mention of these…people…experimenting on kids. It felt like he was in one of Jiriaya stories about Orochimaru. That's right…was he in that snake freak's base?

He looked back at Jack and his eyes softened. What he said earlier was probably the wrong thing for him to say, especially him because he too had no parents. Judging from her reaction, she was the same. "Look, I am sorry about what I said earlier."

Jack's guarded eyes regarded him for a moment. "Whatever." She replied before walking over to lean on the wall.

The blond sighed. She was way too guarded, but he could not blame her. This place was not for kids. Looking at her, he decided to tell her about him. "Look, I really shouldn't have said what I said because….well, I never had any parents."

_"What the fuck?"_ Jack growled. "So then where the hell do you get off telling me how to act like my parents 'taught' me, huh?"

Naruto sighed again, "Look, I'm not that smart when it comes to these things and the only reason I know them is because of the Old Man back home." Jack blinked at that one and at the same time felt jealous. Old man, huh? So this guy at least had someone who'd been like a parent to him.

Okay now she was curious. This kid_-fine he was older than her but so what-_had a strange childhood. Kind of like her. "Alright, tell me more." Realizing what she'd just said she hastily added, "Not like we have any better to do in this hellhole." Naruto nodded and begun to speak of his home world.

Naruto was panicking. Whatever these _people_ had done to him, it had sullied his way of doing chakra attacks. Of course, they called the power he, Jack, and the other kid had Biotics, but still, something was wrong.

Jack looked on in amusement. "What the hell is your problem?" It had been a week or so since he had come here and now that he was finally going to show her his power, it doesn't work. Damn boasting blond. She was still having trouble wrapping her head around the concept of chakra and jutsu and all this other garble, but hey, the galaxy was a big place. And what did she care? Not that any of it mattered to her, anyway.

"My chakra is not working normally!" Naruto nearly shouted.

"Retard." Jack failed to restrain a smirk. "Its not chakra. Its Biotics. You use it differently here than the fucked up way you use it on your home world." Naruto calmed down at that. Did chakra/biotics work differently in different environments? If so, then he would have to watch Jack and the kids more closely when they used their powers. Still he felt rankled, irked, knowing that his power would not respond the way he wished it to.

Several hours later, after watching the kids through the glass in his and Jack room, Naruto felt that he was ready to try an attack and see if he could work this Biotics power. It was worth a try, he supposed.

Jack just sat on her bed with a bored look on her face as her roommate was finally deciding to use his power. This was going to be a disaster, she just knew it.

The blond closed his eyes in concentration and reached for his biotic power. He felt it after a minute and nearly growled. Those people had gotten rid of his normal chakra and replaced it with Kyuubi's. However, he didn't feel the fox's presence and the hatred that came with it. He felt…nothing. It was odd.

He pulled at the power and mimicked the motion he saw Jack do once and pushed his hand outward.

Jack looked on with wide eyes as she saw Naruto's normal blue eyes go red; as scarlet energy engulfed his body and pushed outward. The red energy hit a nearby coffee table that she'd never bothered used and blasted it into the wall, leaving a sizable dent in its otherwise pristine surface.

"Whoa." The two replied. Despite himself Naruto grinned. He now knew he could use this power, biotics, now came the training. He was going to get out of this place and damn it he was going to take Jack with him.

_(The escape, exactly one year after Naruto arrived)_

Jack was sitting on her bed, watching her blond roommate trying to do…something. He said it was an attack that he used back in his home world and that it was pure chakra manipulation. She smiled at that. He had told her about his plan and she agreed with him. However, where would they go? Wait, why was she thinking that? She just wanted out of this place!

Still, over the year, the two had grown close. They saw each other as brother and sister and she was a bit nicer to him now. Just a bit. Okay, maybe more than just a bit. Hell, he'd even taken a few experiments in her place just to keep her safe. He was so kind to her, unlike the asshole kids and adults. Now, while Jack still thought of him as a brother, she also had a small crush on him….not that she would EVER admit to anyone…even to herself.

Naruto glared at the door, focusing his power. Commanding it. Demanding that it obey him. He gathered it and coallesced it, dredging it up from the blackest, darkest corner of his mind. At long last he felt it, the swirling, spiraling sphere gathering in the palm of his hand. How long had it been since he'd last used this jutsu? Week? Months? Maybe even a year? It didn't matter. They were getting out of here.

And they'd be doing it in style.

Jack gawped at the spiraling sphere, cradled within his fingertips.

"What the fuck is-"

Naruto answered her question and demonstrated the technique all in one motion.

_"Rasengan."_

* * *

><p>The alarms were deafening.<p>

Blaring and whooping across the base, they alerted all personnel to the event they'd long since dreaded and feared. An escape attempt. No that wasn't quite right. An attempt implied that there was the possibility of failure. An attempt, meant that they might not succeed. This was not an attempt. This was an escape.

"Subjects Crimson and Zero have escaped!" A technician shouted, clamoring down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him, frantically consulting his omni-tool. "Repeat, the both Subjects Crimson and Zero have-_urrk!"_

The tech never got to read any more of the report.

Abruptly, a red-skinned hand slashed out of nowhere, catching him across the throat. He stumbled, clutching at his windpipe, before another blow took out his legs and sent a wave of fire coursing across his back. It was with a belated agony that the man realized what had been done to him, as his legs went boneless beneath his waist. His spine. He choked aloud as he toppled forward, striking the deck. The boy had severed his spinal cord!

"Surprise!" Naruto laughed as he blew past him, the blow rendering the technician effectively mute and powerless. Raw with fury the technician uttered a rasping cry and tried to catch the blonde's leg, his fingers clawing feebly at the teenager's heel as he sped down the hall.

Whimpering, the technician dragged himself into the ops center.

"Sir," He rasped, "What are we going to do? The guards can't contain-

What he saw there caused his hope to wilt.

The project chief, a wiry man by the name of Thomas was sitting upright in his chair, his face strangely calm. In the middle of his chest, a dark red stain was spreading across the spotless white of his admiral's uniform. He stared down at it in disbelief, his mouth working wordlessly as he watched his life slip between his fingertips.

"Order the retreat." The words ached in his throat, in a way that had nothing to do with throbbing pain of the biotic's treacherous attack. "I said, order the-

He never did get to finish that sentence as a glowing fist caved in the side of his head.

* * *

><p><em>(With Naruto and Jack)<em>

All though out the facility, Naruto and Jack laid waste to the place. They used their biotics to literally blow away all that opposed their escape, which was just about everyone. The children. The Adults. Hell event he automated defenses!

Not that it mattered to Naruto. Over the year he had spent there, he had learned how to be a true biotic. So taking these things out was easy. With a few well projected **shockwaves** from him and Jack, it was made easier for their escape.

When they made it to the exit of the base they had found themselves in, they noticed a strange vehicle parked right outside. It looked like a car with rockets for wheels. No matter, if this got them away from this facility they were golden.

Quickly getting in, they were baffled at the controls. Neither had had any interaction with this type of stuff and Naruto was certain this thing didn't belong anywhere within the elemental countries. The meant that he was even _further _from home than he'd expected. Meh. Not like they wanted him there anyway.

The blond noticed his younger companion was pushing random buttons with an angry expression on her face. She was desperate to get away and she was not going to let her stupidity of these vehicles get in her way. And with a stroke of pure luck, the vehicle they were in blasted upward in rapid succession.

After that, they didn't know how far they had traveled or for how long. After all space travel is shorter now that what it used to be thanks to the mass relay that ran into. When they ran into that, a strange map appeared in front of them. Mesmerized by it, Naruto touched the first thing that got his attention….which was a giant red lighted jellyfish. Omega. After he touched it, it disappeared and a disembodied voice rang out telling them they were going to Omega.

All throughout the trip, the duo slept on the floor. Naruto lay with his back to the metal wall, his head lolled slightly to one side. At some point, Jack decided to sit next to him, and eventually, she too succumbed to exhaustion, falling asleep with her head leaning on the blonde's shoulder. He smiled at that as she looked peaceful. She really was cute. When she wasn't screaming or swearing or trying to bash your head in, that is.

A beeping sound woke them up and when Jack saw what she was sleeping on, she punched him off of her with a small blush on her face, which she quickly hid. Naruto rubbed at his shoulder, shrugging off the blow. She was always like this. It was kinda wierd.

They looked out the window of the vehicle they were in to see the 'jellyfish' called Omega. They had made it and after they fiddled with the light up buttons on the console, they found out that it was a space station…whatever that was. Several minutes later, their ship docked and they stepped outside, if the giant space station could be called such. It was…dirty to say the least. However, they saw a large building called Afterlife in front of them and, at Naruto's behest, decided to try and get in.

Now, under most circumstances, they wouldn't have lasted an instant. They had yet to realize it, but Omega was no place for children. Least of all two biotics, and children at that. Had they encountered any of the unscrupulous denizens that dwelled in the stations depths, they likely would never have been heard from again. They would have been killed without a thought, stripped of their meager possessions, and left for the Vorcha.

Fortunately, Jack bumped into a young woman, wearing, in Naruto's opinion strange clothes. Of course Jack didn't care about that and glared at her, her eyes jaded. It was all too clear she still had trust issues and the only one she actually trusted was the idiot she was standing next to.

"Watch we're your going-

She never had a chance to finish that curse, as Naruto clamped a hand over her mouth. Jack's first instinct was to bite him, but after spending more than a year together, she somehow knew the blond intended no harm. She still bit him anyway, just to show him who was boss.

"Yeow!" Naruto yelped as he released the smaller girl, his hand throbbing. "What the hell was that for, Jack!"

"Sh-Shut up, dickhead!"

The woman smiled at them as her little girl clung her to leg. If Naruto had to guess, she was barely Jack's age. "What are two kids doing out here all alone?" She asked, "My name is Diana by the way and this is my daughter, Nef."

Seeing that Jack was not going to answer, Naruto flashed his foxy smile and said, "Well, that's just it. We don't know. We just escaped these people who were not that nice. I think they called themselves Cerberus?"

Diana gasped when she heard that name. It was a human extremist group that would kill off aliens for the good of humanity. And if these two children where held captive by them….who knew what horrors they had to face. Steeling her gaze she nodded to herself. These two needed to get off world and find a safe place. Omega was _not_ a place for a couple of orphaned children.

"Come on, you two need to get off this station and the best way is to ask Aria for help." Diana responded as she led the two children around the back. She was no fool, she knew a couple of kids would not be able to get in through the front door. Thankfully, that wasn't the only way inside Afterlife.

As they walked, Nef looked at Naruto with interest. Jack scared her, so…the blond was it. Said blond noticed this and smiled at the girl and started up a conversation with the shy child while Jack just glared at the two. Her blond friend was way too nice sometimes.

Diana smiled softy at the interaction of her daughter and the other two kids. She could already tell that the blond one was going to be a heart breaker when he grew up and with his caring nature, any girl would be lucky to have him. That brown haired girl, although guarded, seemed to have a thing for the boy already. Luckily, through the boy's ranting, she learned that his name was Naruto and the girl was Jack.

Soon they made it and thankfully didn't encounter any Vorcha. Those guys were always trouble. Diana walked the children to the back door and a Turian was there guarding it. Luckily she was friendly with this man, who nodded at her and Nef.

Naruto of course blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Whoa! What kind of Bloodline do you have mister?"

The turian blinked rapidly before he laughed. "Kid, you obliviously don't know much about aliens."

"Aliens?"

Diana shook her head. "I am sorry my friend, but they escaped Cerberus and don't know a lot about the Galaxy." She replied, making the turian know what she wanted and nodded silently to her. "Naruto, this man is a Turian and Aria is an Asari."

The turian spoke up, "I'll take them to Aria, I'm sure you don't want Nef in there." Diana smiled and thanked him. Naruto said goodbye for him and Jack since she was still being really quiet about all of this. He could see that she really didn't trust anyone at the moment.

The turian dropped the two kids off in front of a blue skinned woman that looked like she was in a bad mood and after what the turian told her about the two, she was even more pissed off. Cerberus was always a pain in the ass. She eyed the two children for a moment. The girl looked really guarded while the boy….actually looked bored despite the booming music in the club. She smirked at that.

What the hell. She'd get them off this rock.

Just to spite Cerberus.

* * *

><p><em>(In parts unknown)<em>

True to her word, Aria actually helped them off of Omega via a ship that was going to one of the colonies in the terminus systems. Naruto was well liked in the ship because he often helped where he could and he was given an Omni-tool for future use and he put it on his right arm. Jack, well, she often caused people out for being stupid and kept to herself or just spoke to Naruto.

Their free time and bonding was cut short however, because another ship attacked them. From what the crew was yelling about, they were being attacked by the Geth. The crew's captain yelled for them to run to the escape pods because the ship had sustained too much damage.

Naruto got Jack to one of the escape pods before an explosion rocked from the side. Naruto looked with wide eyes to see machine like people with one optic lens. This place was _far_ different than what he was used to. That thought made him wonder if he would ever find a way home.

Naruto shook his head of those thoughts and turned back to Jack. She had a look of fear when she saw the Geth, but when she noticed Naruto looking at her, she nodded with a look of determination. Naruto sighed when he heard people in trouble. He looked Jack straight in the eyes and said, "I will be back."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jack shouted, "Get your ass in here or at least let me fight with you dumbass!"

Naruto smiled softly at the girl before he took off Tsunade's necklace that those Cerberus people never bothered to take, and put it on the confused girl's neck. "This is my promise to you, I will come back. I'll be back for you _and_ for that necklace.

"But!" she managed to say before Naruto leaned in and kissed her cheek, freezing her in place. He smiled at her and then closed the door to the escape pod before turning to the approaching Geth.

"Come on, let's get this over with." Naruto said, a bit uncertain on how to beat these things. The Omni-Tool was still new to him but one thing was for sure, it needed a blade, and a blade it did not have. He had no weapon to speak of, and…

"Screw it, **Shockwave!**"

* * *

><p><em>(Several Minutes Later)<em>

Naruto stumbled into an empty escape pod with a defeated look on his face. He should have just left with Jack, but no, he _had_ to be the hero. The geth were too strong and most of the people had already perished. He'd taken took a few guns, but they were difficult to use, so he missed a lot. Now, he was alone.

Suddenly he heard a noise and looked behind him to see a crawling geth. He must have blown the leg of that one. Naruto panicked and frantically palmed the door switch as hard as he could...just as it was half way through the door. The geth uttered an electronic squeal that sounded a great deal like a human scream as it was cut down, severed at the torso, with its upper half collapsing into the escape pod.

"Ha!" Naruto couldn't help but to grin. "Serves you right!"

He spun around as he felt the confines of the pod give way with a metallic clang; the bulky device lurching away from the cold embrace of the freighter that once housed it. He felt nothing but exhileration, the adrenaline finally fading from his veins.

Naruto's moment of triumph was short lived as he realized he had no way of knowing where he was going. He had no idea how to fly this thing, and even if he did, there was no console by which to control the thrusters, nor was there anything more than a thin mirrored slit by which to chart his progress. Peering out into the cold expanse of space, he saw the freighter; saw it jettision the remaining pods, each of which shot off in a different direction.

Which one of those pods belonged to Jack?

He didn't know.

What was he going to do? It occurred to him how she must feel; how she must feel betrayed by his absence, must be thinking that he'd abandoned her. He pounded his fists against the glass, suddenly overcome with the realization that he wasn't going to see her again. Not for a very long time.

It was with another, sickening lurch that he sat and looked at his right arm. It was postively gruesome; the flesh charred and the musculature ripped to pieces from the foolish firefight he'd so recklessly engaged in. To make matters worse, it was not healing properly. Usually Kyuubi's chakra, sentient or not, healed him along with the nanobots. Only it wasn't doing a damned thing. What the hell was going on?

Looking back at the so-called Geth, Naruto saw that it was still alive…surprisingly, but the light in its flashlight-like head was quickly fading. Well, he had nothing but time now so he might as well try and find out why it attacked and what it really was.

After all, he had nothing but time.

* * *

><p><em>(In Jack's pod)<em>

Jack had nothing but time.

She knew, the moment the pod lurched away from the dock. She knew. He wasn't coming back for her, was he? Either he'd finally betrayed her, just like everyone else, or he had gone and gotten himself killed while playing the hero. Strangely enough she hoped for the latter, though the thought still pained her. It was better to think that he was no longer alive, that he was dead, rather than dead.

So long as he hadn't betrayed her, it lessened the sting of his passing. Wait, why the hell did she care? No! She didn't care about him! Not at all! He was just a boy! Just some kid who'd taken the brunt of the experiments for her. Whom she'd become close. Whom she maybe, kinda, sorta...had a crush on..but what did that matter now? He was dead now, dead and gone and lost to the frigate as the Geth pounded it to pieces with ultraviolet lasers.

Despite herself, despite all her anger and bile, she suddenly found herself on the verge of tears. He was dead. No! He couldn't be dead! He couldn't! Not after all this, not after all they'd been through together, not after they'd finally escaped...

"Damnit." She'd meant to use the word as a shout, as a curse to strengthen her, but all that emerged was a weak, broken gasp. She flopped down against the thin padding of the pod's floor and fought the urge to curl into a ball. Fought the urge to weep.

_Clink._

The soft rasp of metal across steel drew her from her teary reverie, demanding her attention. It was the necklace. His necklace. In her grief, she'd nearly forgotten about it. If there was anything left of him to remember him by, then this was it.

She touched the necklace he had given her, her small fingers trailing over the smooth, cool surface of the crystal. It was warm to the touch, she realized. She hadn't noticed it beforehand; because she'd been too focused on trying to beat her way out of the escape pod. It had been cold once. But now it was warm. Pulsating. Almost like...a heart. But not just any heart. A human heart. His heart. The pulse was faint, sporadic, but ever present. Like a beacon.

Maybe...he wasn't dead. Maybe...just maybe...he'd made it to an escape pod? The thought, drove back her anger and bitterness, albeit briefly. What if he was still alive? What if he was just as desperate to find her as she was him. She focused, searching for any sign of his presence. In their year together, they'd developed a strange sort of bond, an eerie connection that allowed them to sense the other's biotic power whenever it was in close proximity to one another.

"You'd better not be dead, dumbass...

At that very instant she felt it. Like a flare, lighting the darkness of her mind. That proved it. He was alive. And he was nearby. She couldn't pinpoint his precise location but if he'd somehow made it to an escape pod, then that meant he was at least alive. Good. She had time for only one thought before the thrusters ignited before her pod burst into motion and carried her pod away from him:

"Naruto...I swear I'm gonna find you and kick your ass for leaving me in this pod!"

**R&R! =D**

**A/N: Lo and behold! This is our masterpiece! This will be an EPIC story,spanning across the entirety of Mass Effect 1 all the way to Mass Effect 3! We'll be including the Mass Effect choice engine of course, which will only make this all the more interesting! Will Naruto and Jack ever be reunited? And where oh where is Naruto's escape pod headed? **

**Also, I think we got Jack and Naruto's personality down perfectly, don't you? Be sure to review! This fic is the product of many a night of blood sweat and tears!**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

**Uzumaki Crossover will be writing the next chapter! Look forward to it!**


	2. Cybernetic

**Nz: And here we are with the second chappy! Things heat up in this chapter (literally) as we see Naruto's injury and other events come together in ways not forseen by anyone! That being said, this chapter's one hell of a doozy! The events of the first Mass Effect kickof as of next chapter! But until the, feel free to the wondruous wonder that Uzumaki Crossover and I have created!**

_Hearts are the hardest things to steal. Because, in the end...someone just might steal yours._

_~Kasumi Goto. _

**Cybernetic**

In the end, he didn't learn a whole lot from the dying Geth. He learned that the race known as Quarians where the ones to create them and that they were AI, something he _still_ didn't know about. It also told him they were after the ship that he was on for supplies.

It mentioned that all organics feared them and that the Geth themselves did not hate the organics, just trying to find their own way in life. Naruto himself would have tried a more diplomatic approach to things in the galaxy, which was what the Old Man said often enough. The Geth he had been talking to seemed to contemplate it and then shook it's head. It feared that it would not work as things were now, but it thanked Naruto for the advice all the same.

As Naruto was fading in and out of consciousness do to exhaustion, he noticed that the Geth was barely hanging on. "Maybe...you guys aren't all that bad. Maybe in the future, we could be friends if what you say about your hive mind is correct."

"It is...a possibility." The geth replied.

"Heh, good to know...Legion." Naruto replied with a smile before he drifted off.

The geth processed the word, Legion, and found that it was an appropriate name, but it could not hold that new title, maybe one day, another shall take up that title. For now, it was finished, but at least it could relay its last moments to the rest of his kin. They would like to know they have a future...if this boy survived. And perhaps, someday some where, in the near future, another would once again take up the title of Legion...

**XXXX**

Admiral Rael'Zorah of the Rayya was on a scouting mission, looking for more Geth parts to use in his experiments. All this was for his family, for his late wife, for his daughter, Tali. He had promised her that he would find a way to retake their homeworld to that he could give her a home, a real home. Not another starship.

"Sir, our scanners are picking up something." A quarian reported at his terminal.

"Any idea as to what it is?" Rael asked, thinking that it was strange that a lone object would be this far out in space.

"The scanners are reporting that it is an escape pod and there are life signs with in it, but…they are fading."

"I see, then let's pick it up and hope it is not hostile." Rael replied before walking off to the area of the ship where it would be located.

**XXX**

Rael'Zorah was ready for anything and thankfully, the scanners didn't report anything dangerous with in the pod. So, he took a crew member and his daughter, Tali, to check it out. She had only just gotten out of her bubble and she needed real world experience. This was the perfect opportunity for that. But none of them where prepared for what they found the pod opened.

"Father," Tali began softly, "Is that...

"Keelah..." Rael replied when he looked inside.

For inside the small pod was a young human boy with a very damaged arm. And there was the torso of a Geth there as well. Just what the hell happened to this kid? Thinking quickly, he ordered his daughter to take the Geth back to his lab, he would decide later on what to do with it. He also didn't want his daughter to be too affected by the gruesome state of this boy's arm.

He and the remaining crewmate carefully took the boy to the med-bay of the ship. He only hoped that they'd saved him in time.

**XXX**

Rael sighed as he sat in his lab. They'd stabilized the boy. It seemed that he had been within that pod for some time and he was very weak, however, his arm was going to be useless. It was already too late for it. Eyeing the Geth that was within the pod with the boy, he wondered if he could make a cybernetic arm for him…with the boy's consent of course. The medic said he should be awake soon.

A beep was heard from his Omni-tool and Rael knew what it meant; the report he sent back to the fleet had finally been received and they wanted to speak with him...now. He sighed, pressed a few buttons on his console and the faces of admiralty board appeared on the screen. There were four in all their faces each hidden behind a mask much like his own, with the subtle difference giving proof to their individual identities.

Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh, responsible for many technical breakthroughs used by the rest of the Fleet. Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, commander of the Patrol Fleet and all but critical to the continued protection of the Live Ships. Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib, commander of the Civilian Fleet. Then there was Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Rael's longtime friend and fellow admiral. And of course, Rael himself.

"Is there a particular reason why you've brought a human aboard your ship, Rael?" Were the first words out of Xen's mask vocoder. In his younger years, Rael would've all but bristled at a rebuke like that. Now he was older and wiser. Now, he shrugged off the remark like...what was that human saying? Water off a duck's back? Something like that.

"Hello to you, too, Xen."

"Is what you reported true?" Admiral Shala'Raan asked with some concern for the child.

"Yes, unfortunately it is true. I would not have believed it myself, had I not been the one to see it." Rael replied sadly.

"What do you plan on doing with the young human boy?" Koris asked.

"I am not sure, but if he agrees, he can stay on the ship and help us. He could be a valuable asset to the Quarian Race. He could freely go where we could not and if he was to be introduced to our traditions, it would assure his loyalty to us. Plus, my daughter does need more friends since I cannot be with all the time because of my work."Rael offered.

Now that got them thinking. Humans were very unique to them and from what they heard about them in the alliance, they could be a useful ally. Finally, although some of them were skeptical about having a human within the fleet, they agreed to let the human stay with them, but he would have to go on a pilgrimage like the others if he was going to follow their traditions.

Rael smiled despite the other's reasoning. He was mostly doing this for Tali. She indeed needed friends.

**XXX**

Tali was curious. They had recovered a young human boy from the pod and he was very hurt. Still, she wanted to know more about him and where he came from. She wanted to know more about the outside world. She was sure he had a lot to tell.

Walking right up to the boy's sleeping form with some caution; she peered down at the boy's face. He was cute…for a human, especially with those strange whisker marks on his cheeks. Where they birthmarks or scars? She reached out to touch them, but hesitated for a second, before she tenderly rubbed the marks.

She wasn't expecting the reaction she got. He was purring! From what she had heard, humans didn't purr!

Abruptly, the boy's eyes shot open. He made as if to rise, but he was too weak to move. Looking at his surroundings, he noticed he was in some sort of med-bay, that much he knew from his observations of the last ship he was on. However, he was not prepared to see the masked individual…staring at him. However, he was about to figure out that this person was young and it was a girl. Still, he wondered what was with the mask.

"Um…hi?" Naruto replied weakly.

Tali jumped and withdrew her hand from his face with a small 'eep!' "H-hi!"

It was at that moment that the door opened to reveal Rael'Zorah, who saved Tali from further embarrassment. Naruto turned his head to see that this man was like the young girl, a suit and mask. However, now that he looked closer, he figured that that these people where not human. They had 3 fingers on each hand and had strange legs, but they were near human, that was for sure. However, he knew enough to tell that these people where neither Turian like the guard back on Omega, nor Asari like Aria. So...just what were they, then?

"Um…what are you guys if you don't mind me asking?" Naruto asked lamely.

Rael eyed the boy for moment, regarding his body language. The boy didn't seem afraid of them, just curious. "I am Rael'Zorah and this is my daughter, Tali'Zorah. We are Quarians, have you heard of us?"

"Um…that Geth mentioned Quarians." Naruto said. "I just had no clue what you looked like."

"I see." Rael replied, wondering what this boy and the dead Geth talked about. There was also the fact that they had not been seen in nearly 200 years. He shook his head and got down to business. He relayed his offer to the young boy about being his guardians...if he didn't have a family to get back to that is.

Naruto thought about the offer in great detail and what the man_-Rael was it?-_offered. He would be an honorary Quarian and have the power to do what most Quarians couldn't do; leave the fleet when needed. He would be able to search for Jack when he was out there. Smiling softly, he nodded and accepted. He felt pretty alone right now and if these people wanted to help him, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Plus, with these kind of resources, he might be able to find Jack. He just hoped she was doing ok.

"Also, about your arm, it is not fixable by medical means," Rael stated and before Naruto could start to feel sad about his useless arm, Rael continued, "However, it is possible to replace your arm with technological means."

"How so?" Naruto asked, curious about what he was proposing. He was still new to technology in general. Just what were they suggesting?

"Simple, we take parts of the Geth that we have collected over the years and convert it into a human arm for you. This could give you a technological advantage over most because you would be considered a Cyborg of sorts."

Naruto arched an eyebrow at that. He would be able to better understand technology with his cybernetic implant? Now _that_ was useful. Also, if they did this, it would be like he had a stronger connection with the Geth. With a thoughtful expression, he asked, "Will I still be able to use biotics?"

Both Rael and Tali blinked at that. This kid had the power of biotics? "Can you show us?"

Naruto nodded and with his good arm, he sat up…with the help of Tali of course. Focusing, he reached out for a glass of water on the other side of the room. Rael and Tali each watched with wide eyes as Naruto's form glowed with _red_ energy and the glass slapped into his palm.

"Keelah!" Tali yelped in surprise.

After Rael regained his bearings, he nodded and said he would do what he could. Naruto, in turn, explained that he was different than most humans, something that Cerberus exploited. Rael suspected Naruto was telling the truth, after all, he had no reason not to.

The blond human then explained about his chakra network that was created by the overabundance of Element Zero and how his people were able to bend the elements to their will. However, now that changed for him when he came into the galaxy.

Rael listened intently to the whole story and decided that he would need to put some Element Zero in the arm to help Naruto be able to use biotics in that arm. He would also implant an omni-tool within the arm that had a biotic amp and a tech amp. He nodded and left, he would need to work fast and he had a few surprises in mind. After all, the young human would not be able to rely on just biotics and his eventual tech skills.

As he left, Naruto seriously debated on whether to just escape this room like he did back home, but thought better of it. He was trying to gain the trust of these people and that was not the way to go about it. That and he would get lost easily in a ship. Oh and his arm was screwed!

So he glanced over to Tali, who was making her way back over to him. He smiled; he might as well get to know this girl. "Hey, I didn't catch your name."

The girl paused.

"Tali."

Naruto grinned.

"Nice to meet you, Tali."

**XXXX**

It took a week but Naruto finally got his arm back...well his new cybernetic arm. Rael explained that it worked in direct conjunction with his nanites, that it created a direct connection with his brain, giving him a better understanding of technology. His arm also let him directly hack computers and terminals. Still he needed to learn more about technology, but with Rael and Tali's help, he was sure he could get the hang of it...eventually.

"Naruto, I've added Tech and Biotic amps to help you out in those areas. I also added Element Zero to make a network like you told me of your body's." Rael explained. "Now, there are two features that will help you in the long run."

"What would they be?" Naruto asked as he weakly moved the arm. He was going to have to get used to a new arm. After all, they had to surgically remove his wasted arm to implant this one. He needed to regain mobility if he was going to of any use to Jack or these people.

"I've added two components that could be useful for you in the near future. One is that you can turn your hand into an Ionic Beam that can deflect beams shot from lasers and be used as a sword if you need it. The other is that you can turn your hand into a cannon of sorts. I call it the Ionic Cannon."

Naruto smiled. "Thank you."

**XXXX**

_(Naruto is now 18)_

Naruto smiled as he walked down the hallways of the Rayya and nodded to the crew as he passed them. He now wore black steel toed combat boots, black cargo pants, a red muscle shirt, and a black trench coat with the Uzumaki Clan Symbol on the back and a hood that worked as a helmet that made him look like Quarian. He thought about ripping the sleeve off his right arm, but opted against it.

Over the years, Naruto had come to realize that most of the galaxy's inherent beliefs about the quarian people were outright wrong or gross distortions of the truth. They were wrong about the quarians. All of them. The universe considered them to be scavengers, beggars, and thieves: a culture of petty criminals not to be trusted. Having spent most of the last five years with the flotilla, Naruto saw them for what they truly were.

They were resourceful.

Determined.

They were a people struggling to survive with limited space and resources, yet they refused to allow their society to degenerate into selfishness and anarchy. To accomplish this, they clung fiercely to their powerful sense of community. There was something noble in this unity, enforced though it might be by their circumstances. Ever quarian truly believed they needed to work together to survive. The strong family bonds among shipmates, and the willingness of individuals to sacrifice for the greater good, were values Naruto thought other species could aspire to...should they ever learn to see past their own prejudices and preconceived notions about the quarians.

Naruto certainly had.

He'd gained the respect of not only the crew but all of the Migrant Fleet. It was odd to them that he was initially as selfless as they were, if not more. Still he was a bright light to their lives and they would not trade him for anything in the world. After all he freely left the fleet just to procure supplies when needed. He also never gave up on his search for Jack.

He came very close to finding her. Hell, he came close a lot of times, but lost each chance. There was one time that he came so freaking close! The looked at each other, but it was already too late! At least he knew she was still alive. However, after that, the trail went cold.

_(Flashback!)_

It was supposed to have been a routine run for supplies. Tell that to the Blue Suns hijacking the freighter. He'd already dealt with the boarding party as he made his way into the bowels of the ship, picking off the mercenaries with biotic and tech attacks alike. He had his sidearm a Locust SMG but he rarely found need to use it as he waded through the chaos, batt

And then he saw her.

She was standing there, shrieking, flinging mercs against one another like toys.

"Jack?"

He gawped at her. It was hard to tell where the ink ended and the woman began. Because she was a woman now. Smooth auburn brown locks lofted around a heart-shaped face from which eyes of dark chocolate shone. Was this the little girl who'd helped him escape from Cerberus? It'd only been five years since they'd last seen each other but in that time, she'd obviously grown into an adolescent. Maybe she hadn't been seven back then, after all? Maybe she'd been his age all along, and suffered from malnutrition all that time?

Regardless, she was clearly healthy now. In place of the old Cerberus rags he'd last seen her in, she wore an equally tattered black vest, matted jeans and...his necklace! She still had that necklace he'd given her! It dangled just above her chest, forcing him to notice she was no longer as flat as he once remembered. She wasn't anything like he knew or remembered. It was like she'd become someone else; an entirely different person.

All that changed the second he stepped forward. Jack flung a wall of biotic energy at him, the powerful pull yanking him from his feet and into the bulkhead with enough force to crack his helmet and spatter stars before his vision. Were it not for his own barrier, she'd have split his skull right open.

"What the fuck do you want, jackass!"

Yup, definitely Jack. Appearances aside, she was still very much the foul-mouthed child he'd escaped with. The thought brought him no small amount of comfort as he lay there, swooning from her attack. He forced himself upright as another mercenary landed beside him, this one a turian, its neck twisted at a hideous angle. He stood woodenly, not taking enough care.

That was when she saw him.

"Another one?" He heard her hiss from across the cargo hold. "You son of a bitch! I'll destroy you!"

She raised her hands to strike and in the same moment Naruto leapt to his feet, placed both hands on the seal of his helmt, and flung it to the deck. His teeth rattled against a sharp charge, his hair standing on end from the sheer force in the air. He neatly deflected the crate she flung at him, batting it aside with a subtle biotic push. Beyond that her voice rose in a great cry of frustration. "Why you-

"Jack! Stop! It's me!"

She froze.

The biotic aura. The same red aura as before! He couldn't be...

He was!

"Naruto?" When she spoke, it was more a small, doomed wish than a question. "Is...Is that really you-"

And then the hatch slammed shut between them.

"Oi! Jack!"

_(End Flashback!) _

He sighed deeply at the memory of that day. If he hadn't been late, he would have been able to take her with him. He hadn't seen Jack since that day though, and that'd been months ago. To make matters worse, the trail had gone cold in recent months. He still beat himself up about it. Thankfully, Tali was there to comfort him. She was a very nice girl, always looking out for him as he did for her.

Even _he_ could tell that she had family problems because she was always trying to live up to her to father, which he thought was annoying, but he was always there to pick her up when she was feeling down. That what friends do, right? But she would act all shy with him and he could not figure out why. Hell, she didn't even get annoyed at him when his goofy personality came out. And she never hit him either, unlike a certain pinkette..._oh no you don't!_

He shook his head, driving the thoughts of his old life away. He liked it here. He was accepted here. He had a life here. Friends. Family. Not some team that treated him like a dead last. Not a girl who was hopelessly in love with some emo punk. None of that

Walking into the engine room that Rael had called him to, he instantly knew something was wrong. Everyone was in a panic and the engine core was thrumming loudly, a high pitched wine that threatened to give out at any moment. "What the hell is going on?" he yelled over the noise.

"Our engine is going out! "Rael shouted in reply, his voice barely audible over the incessant din. "We're going to need a new one soon!" No sooner had Rael said this than that engine spat sparks, shuddered, and died. "Bosh'tet!" Rael swore. Engines were expensive.

"Alright, I'll need to raise some money for one." Naruto replied.

"Are you sure?" Rael asked, concerned about the boy. When he went out, he often went to Omega to get a random merc job. The boy was like a son to him and he kept Tali happy. In fact, even he could tell that his daughter had a major crush on the boy. Precisely why he didn't like the boy going to Omega. The terminus station had ruined many a quarian, and he feared it would one day do the same to the impressionable young human.

"Yeah, I can handle it." Naruto said as he walked out of the loud room. He would of course say his goodbyes to Tali before he left.

**XXXX**

"Wait, you're doing what?" Tali asked.

"I'm going out again." Naruto said as he packed his bag. "We need a new engine core." Thankfully with his tech knowledge he was able to store virtually everything within his omni-tool.

"Just promise me you'll come back safely." Tali asked shyly. He was very important to her and she wanted nothing to happen to him. She wasn't sure how she felt for him yet, but she knew that she cared for him a lot. They'd become fast friends over the last five years, and, as always, she was said to see him go, though she knew it was neccessary. She herself had yet to leave the fleet, having yet to leave on her pilgrimage

"I will." Naruto said with his megawatt smile as he hugged the girl.

"Naruto?" She spoke softly as he turned away.

"Hmm?

_"Keelah se'lai."_

The human grinned.

"Keelah se'lai, Tali."

**XXX**

Naruto took the Kodiak that he'd salvaged and flew it to Omega. It was black, perfect for stealth missions. It was a simple affair, everyone in the Terminus Systems knew not to mess with him. Aria, despite her cold personality, looked out for him and no one wanted to piss her off or suffer Naruto's biotic wrath. He was, after all, called the Crimson Biotic. Not just for the color of his aura when utilizing the deadly dark matter mind you...but for his bloodstained appearance after nearly every conflict.

Knowing this, most of Omega gave the boy a considerably wide berth. Most, but not all.

Docking in Omega, Naruto swiftly made his way inside Afterlife, ignoring the idiots in line complaining that Aria was waiting for them, and nodding to the elcor bouncer. As he walked in, several Batarians stared at him, some smirking as he walked past. They wanted to kill him for the fun of it. He was powerful and for that they respected him but he was also an annoying human and _that_ made them want to kill him. After all, what respectable warrior acted like a goofball?

_Why are these things never simple,_ he thought darkly as one of them moved to bar his path. _I just cleaned my boots, too..._

"Where do you think you're going, human?" one of the four-eyed aliens demanded.

"I'm here to see Aria." Naruto answered, silently hoping the batarians would just leave it at that. They didn't. One of the batarians tilted his head to the right- a gesture of contempt among that particular species. His two upper eyes slowly blinked, while the bottom pair continued to stare at the interloper.

"You've come here a lot." a second batarian noted. "Looking to get some favors with the boss, huh?"

Naruto didn't answer the question. Despite all his training and preparation, he knew that most humans were regarded as inexperienced or vulnerable. Especially to Batarians. He couldn't afford to show any sort of weakness. _Especially_ on Omega. He heard more laughter behind him and the creak of fine leather as the batarians rose to their feet in anticipation. None of the batarians were wearing armor. He was, and he'd been gathering power in his fists for the last five minutes.

_Checkmate._

"Gentlemen," He began amicably, remembering to smile, "Surely we can resolve this without violence?"

A chorus of dark chuckles said otherwise.

Naruto flexed his fingers and pushed out with his mind.

"Have it your way, then."

_Hard._

The ensuing warp tore through the first batarian, reducing his face to a bloody pulp. Before the second could react, the biotic lashed out with his mechanical right arm; the high velocity blow neatly snapping the aliens neck. By then the two remaining aliens had drawn their sidearms; and by then Naruto's biotics had recovered. Even as they tracked as his movement, even as they fired the very first shots, he was gone.

The omni-tool blade neatly unfolded from his left arm, its razor sharp edge burrowing deep into the batarian's side. Even as he cried out in pain Naruto moved onto to the next and unleashed a deadly _reave_ on the nervous system of the sole remaining batarian. The alien dropped like a sack of potatoes. Naruto considered finishing him off like the rest but mercy_-or was it pity-_stayed his hand.

"Hold still." He grunted, bending over the battered batarian, his omni-tool flaring. "I've got medi-gel...

In thanks, the batarian levered the pistol at his head. He wasn't expecting that head to jerk forward in a renegade interrupt. Helmet clashed with skull and the latter gave way to the former. The four-eyed alien slumped to the ground, his head lolling to the side at an awkward angle. He wasn't dead. But he certainly wouldn't be getting up for awhile, either.

"Bosh'tet!" Naruto spat, glaring bloody red daggers at the prone alien.

The conflict resolved, he moved into the inner sanctum of afterlife.

As soon as he entered the main room, he was met with the booming music the club usually played. The asari dancers smiled at him as he passed by, each hoping to attract an earnest gaze or a brief glance from the one who held the favor of their mistress. Naruto, for the most part, preferred to nod as opposed to smile. Even after all these years, he still got flustered around the scantily clad dancers. How was it that he could mercilessly kill batarian's just outside the door and yet, the moment he set foot inside the Afterlife he was like a flustered child? As if on cue, his gaze slipped, falling upon one of the gyrating asari. And it lingered, a tad longer than it should have.

The dancer caught his eye, her light violet eyes gleaming in the dim lighting and pulsating beats of the club. She raised her hand and waved, daintily. Almost unbidden, Naruto found himself returning the gesture. He snapped out of it at the last second, his cheeks burning.

_Gotta stop thinking about that!_

Shrugging it off, he made his way toward Aria. Every time he came here he remembered Jack; how intimidatig everything had seemed back then. The guards stopped him to make sure he was not a threat. Aria was having none of that.

"Let him through."

Naruto smiled as he was walked through and sat on a party couch next to hers. He saw aria as a big sister figure, a bit cold, but she looked out for him, especially after what happened on the ship.

The guards all shook their heads, this kid was able to change people for the better and Aria was no different. They knew that Aria saw the boy as a little brother or a son. After all, she was protective of him.

Aria regarded the boy for a second before a smirk formed on her cold face. "So, what can I do for you this time Naruto?"

"The Rayya's engine core is about to go out and well, I was sent to get a new one. I was wondering if you had any _special_ jobs for me." Naruto replied.

Aria narrowed her eyes. Those buckets of bolts the Quarians still used were always falling apart, but Naruto still stayed with them, even if most the galaxy hated them. She herself had tried to recruit Naruto and he declined, but said he would help her any time she needed it and she had an idea on how he could help this time. "I have a job that you can do, but you are going to need a team. The job is to find one of my agents. She was sent to a planet in the Eternus Nexus and the Shadow Broker's forces intercepted. I am not taking any chances with that man; I want my agent out of there."

"What's so important about that planet?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's in an unexplored region because it is near the center of the galaxy. From my sources, it is rich in element zero. I sent my agent to investigate, but I am not sure what the Shadow Broker's interest is with it." Aria replied before she continued, "You do this for me, and I'll pay for the new engine core myself."

Naruto blinked, before he smiled. "I'll take it! A little mystery and danger never hurt anyone...too bad. Anyway, I am sure you have some people in mind."

Aria smirked. _This kid's smarter than he looks_. She thought. "You're right. Two of them you already know. Kasumi and her boyfriend, Kenji."

Naruto's eyes lit up at those names. "Awesome, I get to work with Kasumi-sempai again! She and Kenji taught me how to be stealthier...especially with the cloaking tech they gave me."

Aria smiled at that. To the blond, most people he met helped him and he considered them family. It never ceased to amaze her. "Right, there's also a Drell doing a job in the apartment section of Omega. His name is Thane. Finally, we have an old friend. He's a Krogan that was once hired to kill me, but he failed. His name is Wrex." She paused. "Once you track them down, I'll have a ship ready for you. That black Kodiak you came here in will not be enough."

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a smile. It was true, he didn't have a whole lot of room in his ship. "Hey, uh, where are the others located?"

Aria smirked. "Where else would they go? They're all in Afterlife!"

Naruto smiled as he stood up and said, "Thank you, Aria."

"No problem kid, and if you succeed with this mission, I might even have a surprise for you..." Aria replied before the blond nodded and left. He had to kill some time, so he could either visit Diana and Nef while he waited for Thane to finish, or he could quickly find the others. Eh, he visited Nef and her mom last time.

Shaking his head, he wandered around Afterlife with a bored expression on his face. It would do not to show weakness with all these battle hardened mercs eyeing him. Suddenly, he was tapped on his shoulder. He turned, but saw no one. Must be my imagination. This happened several times before he finally smiled and sighed. "Kasumi. I should've known you would be the one to find me."

"Oh Naruto, you know I'm always watching. The best thief in the galaxy has to be on her toes after all." Kasumi Goto replied as she appeared in front of the blond with a smile that put the sun to shame. "It's good to see you again, Naruto-chan!"

Rolling his eyes, he asked, "So where is Kenji-sempai?"

"You know, for being a ninja, you're easy to sneak up on." Kenji replied as he leaned on Naruto's shoulder. Once the blond would have jumped. Now he brumbled darkly about the constant topic on which he was tormented.

"I have an excuse for that, but you've already heard it." Naruto deadpanned at his older brother figure.

"Yeah, yeahm you were a low level ninja back where you were from and didn't get time to learn more." Kenji mocked the blond in good nature. "So, what're you looking for us for?" When Naruto grinned it put Kasumi's grin to shame.

"Oh, I'm on a job to get a new engine core for the Rayya. I am to track down Aria's agent on a planet in the Eternus Nexus."

"That barely explored system?" Kasumi asked.

"Yep _and_ we have to deal with the Shadow Broker's forces." Naruto said like it was nothing. But it was something; because the Shadow Broker was an individual at the head of an expansive organization specalizing in information, always selling too the highest bidder. It was a lucrative business: all secrets bought and sold never allowed one customer of the Broker to gain a significant advantage, forcing the customers to continue trading information to avoid becoming disadvantaged thereby, allowing the Broker to remain in business.

They were a tough bunch, all things considered and they were the source of Naruto's very first mission with Kasumi and Kenji.

Kasumi grew serious. "We can't let you go it alone, we'll help you."

"Do you have anyone else in mind for this mission?" Kenji asked.

"Well, we have a heavy hitter in a Krogan named Wrex and a drell by the name of Thane."

"An old Krogan and an assassin?" Kenji asked before he shrugged. "Fine by me."

"It'll be hard getting a Krogan in on this." Kasumi contemplated. "They're a stubborn bunch."

"Well, let's go find him!" Naruto said with a smirk. He didn't mind the challenge. In fact, he looked forward to it. He'd never fought a krogan before. Turians, asari, salarians, and especially odd hanar a few week back...but a krogan? He'd seen them before, but he'd never had the chance to speak with one. His childlike fascination with the other races aisde, he was simply eager to meet this Wrex fellow.

"Well, I heard he went to the Merc's office here in Afterlife." Kenji replied. Naruto nodded and head that way. "Oh, and I should warn you...

"Warn me about what?"

Once inside, they saw an old Krogan in red armor arguing with a batarian in Blue Suns armor. Despite the fact that the krogan was easily twice his size, the batarian didn't so much as flinch when the old brute roared out a reply:

"Whaddya mean you have don't have any work for me?"

"I meant what I said, Urdnot Wrex." The four-eyed alien all but sneered. "You're not really a part of the main three mercenary groups. Your best bet it to go ask some random junkie on Omega. HA!" For a moment, just a moment Naruto thiught the old krogsn was going to tear the man's head off. Imagine the boy's surprise when the krogan lasheed out with a _throw_ instead, planting the recruiter across the wall. There was a sharp crack and he landed awkwardly his upper torso lolling to one side, his lower, the other. With this sudden display, Naruto had to restrain to the urge to gawp at the krogan. He was a biotic!

"That'll teach 'em." Wrex mumbled as he walked toward Naruto and his old friends.

"I've got a mission that will be a good challenge, old man." Naruto called, his words earning the krogan's attention. Wrex turned his head to Naruto and glared at the young human and his two guardians. "And what 'challenging' mission would a few humans have for me?" he asked, his grizzled face pulling back into a defiant smirk.

Naruto returned the sentiment in kind as he crossed his arms. He couldn't lightly give out the details for the mission_-least of all to a krogan-_but he'd just now thought of a way to recruit Wrex with as little effort as possible. "We're going up against the Shadow Broker's forces in the Eternus Nexus." he said simply. Did it really matter if Wrex knew the true purpose of their mission? Not really.

"The unexplored system?" Wrex asked, his red eyes narrowing with interest. New worlds attract all kinds of people, even the more dangerous ones. Naruto nodded. That made the old Krogan smirk dangerously. "Heh." he chuckled. "Sounds interesting. Son of a bitch has something of mine, anyway. Kasumi and Keiji exchanged a terse glance. They'd made it this far by keeping a low profile. If Wrex was out to make enemies of the Shadow Broker...

"And what might that something be?" Keiji asked.

"Something I intend to take back, human." Wrex huffed, his disposition softening as he returned his bloodred gaze to Naruto. "Your kind has an old saying, don't you? There's strength in numbers. Or something like that." Naruto nodded in self-satisfaction. All it really took was to play on the Krogan's likes. He wasn't proud of it, but they needed an unstoppable juggernaut that only a krogan could provide.

"Looking forward to working with you, Wrex."

And like it or not, Urdnot Wrex was that krogan.

**XXX**

Naruto and his newfound partners made their way to the apartment district of the jellyfish looking space station. But before he and the others could really enter the district to get their final crewmate, a door on the side opened and an old friend of Naruto's walked out. It was none other than the messy haired, art loving, Nef.

"Naruto?" the girl asked with wide eyes and a smile.

"Oh? Hey Nef, how are you and your mom doing?" Naruto asked.

"We're doing great, but what are you doing back here?" Nef asked with curiosity.

"Ouch, my pride." Naruto replied in mock hurt. "It seems I am not welcome here."

Nef's eyes widened and she waved her arms wildly, "NO! I was just curious, I just...oh, you were joking." She laughed nervously when she saw Naruto''s smile.

Kasumi and Kenji smirked at the scene while Wrex...didn't care. Naruto smiled and nodded. "So, how is your art going?"

"Great, but only a few are actually caring." Nef said a little down.

"Don't worry, I am sure you'll get a break someday." Naruto replied reassuringly. He then put on a thoughtful look. "I do wonder though. I wonder what most on Omega have a preference in art. Is it the quick fleeting moment of art; as an explosion or a blooming flower? Or is it the ever-lasting art? Like statues and puppets?"

No one really got an answer in; both because they didn't know what to say and because, at that very moment, the door to the apartments district slid open, revealing a Drell. Basically the only drell on the station. "Um, Hi?" Naruto asked. "Are you Thane?"

"Yes, that is my name." The Drell answered right away, cautious, but at the sametime interested in what a human boy wanted with him. He'd seen many human in his lifetime but this one struck out like a sore thumb. Not just the way he held himself, or the color of his hair. His reputation preceded him.

"Great. Aria T'loak asked me to take you on our mission. We have to find an agent of her's in the Eternus Nexus. There' a planet there that the Shadow Broker is interested in and Aria wants her agent back.

"Sounds dangerous."

"Anything involving the Shadow Broker is dangerous." Naruto said with a serious outlook and his arms crossed. "I need a team, I can't do this by myself. Besides, an assassin can get things done." A pause. "I can pay you, if that's what you want."

The Drell seemed to consider it before he replied, "Aria already contacted me and I had already agreed, I just needed to get a job done first. And I am done, so you have my services. My body is your weapon."

Naruto smiled at that. Leave it to Aria to make a set up for him. She had already gotten the Drell on their side; all they had to do was pick him up. Yeah, she thought of everything. "Well then, let's get to the ship and save Aria's agent from the Shadow Broker!" The blond cheered like a kid with his fist in the air. The Krogan and the Drell sweat dropped at that while the Thieves both chuckled, used to the blonde's personality.

Nef…quickly walked back into her apartment and started cracking up.

**XXX**

Naruto and his crew were aboard an Asari frigate called the Azure Flame. They had taken off as soon as they entered. They were not going to waste time. It was a pretty small ship, perfect for this type of mission. It was piloted by an all Asari crew. Naruto wondered if Aria got this through her connections with the Asari Councilor on the Citadel.

As soon as they entered the Eternus Nexus, they found out why this place was dangerous and fairly unexplored. It was full of asteroid belts. Hell, there was even a fairly large comet passing through the system. However, their mission turned out to be easier than they thought because there were only 2 intact planets left in this system. One was a gas giant and the other was a small planet that was just radiating Element Zero. Hell he could practically _feel_ it like back home. However, there were barely any life signs on the planet, so this was not it.

"Alright, this is it!" Naruto replied as they descended onto the planet. He looked at his teammates and smiled. Kasumi and Kenji were reliable thieves…._ironic, no_?...and they were basically like him. Space Ninja! They helped him through thick and thin, and they were open minded enough to believe he was from a different human homeworld and not some messed up colony.

Then there was a Drell. A master assassin who grieved for his lost wife and left to protect his son from his enemies. He could tell there was a lot of sadness in the man, so he had spoken to Thane amidships during the journey and offered his hand in friendship. Despite his given profession the drell assassin had agreed.

Finally, the Krogan was very rough around the edges. Wrex only really cared about fighting. He'd given up on his own people simply because they would rather fight for credits than search for a way to cure the Genophage, the near-sterility that plagued their people. But even he could tell that Wrex was lying. He cared a lot of his people, but was just disappointed with their choices. Still, after a while, he warmed up to the blond…but not much.

As soon as they landed, they found themselves in a large rocky terrain. Mountains in the distance, with a smattering of trees here and there. That got him curious. He was on an Element Zero rich planet just like his old planet. Maybe…he could do some of his old ninja moves?

Walking up to a nearby tree, with his team looking at him with confusion, Naruto laid a hand on the old oak, remembering what it was like in the Land of Fire. Kasumi saw the sad look on his face and was about to ask what was wrong before they all watched the blond put his feet _on_ the tree and walked up tree! "W-what the hell?"

"Heh, this kid's full of surprises." Wrex muttered boredly, although he too, was impressed.

"Indeed." Thane replied, wondering how he did it…before the blond fell right on his ass when he was three quarters of the way up.

"Ow…" Naruto groaned out as he rubbed his ass. He looked up at his teammates and chuckled nervously. "Sorry, old thing I used to be able to do in rich Element Zero zones. It is a ninja thing."

Thane arched an eyebrow. "I was unaware humans were able to do that."

"Normally they can't." Naruto said with a shrug. "But then again, I am not from Earth or the colonies. I am from…some other place." They looked at him for a moment before they too shrugged, seeing as even he didn't know where he was from, they were not going to get an answer.

Before they could ask where they were supposed to go, they heard sharp retort of weapons fire. Nodding they took out their respective weapons and headed over to ridge. Peering over the edge, they saw a young Asari woman getting shot at by what they assumed as they agents of the Shadow Broker. There were about twenty of them. A few Vorcha, some Turians, a Krogan...some Salarians, and even a few Batarians. A Turian with red facial markings appeared to be in charge as it ordered the others to keep the pressure on while taunting the young Asari.

"You might as well give up, bitch!" The man yelled. "What the Shadow Broker wants, he gets! And not even T'loak's daughter is going to get in our way!"

"Damnit, this is not what was supposed to go down. I was just supposed to scout this place out." The young Asari growled to herself. Her name was Liselle and like the Turian said she was indeed Aria's daughter. He'd seen them together on occasion and it had been more than enough to make the connection. It made sense, really, why Aria wanted her "agent" off the planet.

She was a mother looking to protect her daughter from the likes of the Shadow Broker. And if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he would even say that was a reasonable cause. These guys were nuts.

"Ok, Wrex and I will distract them with a surprise attack. Kasumi, Kenji, and Thane, take the rest out from the shadows. These idiots won't know what hit them!" Naruto gave a dark chuckle as he finished giving them their orders, earning a smirk from Wrex. The old krogan wondered how the young human would start this.

When the three disappeared, Wrex asked, "So how you want to do this?"

"You any good with Biotics?" Naruto asked.

"Heh, I'm better with a gun, but I do have some biotic skill. What do you have in mind kid?"

Naruto smirked before he held out his hand and a red ball of swirling biotic energy formed. "Just try and keep up old man!" Naruto replied before he launched himself off the ledge and shoved the red ball right in the surprised Turian's gut. It connected solidly; blasted the avian alien into a nearby rock.

For a moment, there was total silence. Shocked silence from all in the fight before. Liselle could not believe someone was actually sent to save her. Her mother must have gotten word that the Shadow Broker's forces were here as well. Still, she had to admit that her savior was pretty cute and if she had to guess, this guy was who her mother spokeof on occasion.

However, none of that mattered to the forces sent to kill her. They recovered just as quickly and began their counterattack. However, that too was short lived as Wrex started laughing after he got over his shock and started raining down bullets on the warriors while Thane, Kasumi, and Kenji took out the stragling idiots on the side. They never knew what hit them.

However, there was on agent left and that was a Krogan, something Wrex picked up on when he saw it charging the blond. "Kid! Look out!"

Naruto ducked under a shotgun blast from the charging Krogan. Getting up quickly, he clapped his hands together as red biotic energy swirled around him and then split off in different waves. The energies formed into energy constructs of himself. Biotic Clones. Now that caught the Krogan of guard. So so much that the clone managed to punch him into the air. Naruto then followed up by throwing off his coat as his metal arm shifted into his cannon mode.

"Ionic Cannon!"

White energy blasted outward and struck the Krogan, before passing right through it. The krogan fell to the ground in a sizzling heap. Liselle looked on in awe as Naruto's arm shifted; the smoking aparatus reverting to a normal and he put his coat back on. "That was….amazing!" She yelled as she ran to the blond.

"Thanks?" Naruto asked as the old Krogan jumped down next to him while Kasumi, Kenji, and Thane appeared next to him, clearly impressed.

"I've never seen anyone use biotics like that!" Liselle gushed, taking his armin hers. "And you saved me too, so how do you want to be repaid cutie?"

"Wh-wha…" Naruto asked, not knowing how to respond to that. While he could take down a whole platoon of Shadow Broker forces-albeit with help from his friends-girls were still a mystery to him. Especially this one.

"Awe, little Naruto is saving grateful damsels in distress. He's growing up!" Kenji laughed with pretending to cry.

"Yes, our little brother is about to become a man!" Kasumi teased.

"I have a read several stories that include this sort of situation in human books." Thane replied, not really knowing that he was teasing the blond.

Wrex just grunted to himself. It was funny, but he had no jokes to say to mess with the kid.

Naruto's face was completely red, whether from embarrassment or anger, they couldn't tell. Suddenly, he rounded on them and with the use of biotics, he managed to mimic Iruka's big head jutsu. "NOBODY ASKED YOU!"

Liselle giggled while Kasumi and Kenji laughed. Wrex and Thane looked a little off guard at Naruto's panting form. The blond quickly straighten up before stomping off to the ship. "Let's go back to Omega already."

"Right behind ya cutie. Maybe we can have some fun on the ship!" Liselle cheered, knowing what effect she was having on the blond.

Naruto bristled before continuing his stomp back to the Azure Flame.

"This is going to be a long ride back…"

**XXX**

Naruto and his team made it back to Omega with little trouble. Luckily they got out of the dangerous system with little trouble, of course there were a few close calls with the asteroid belts.

Now, they were back in the club called Afterlife. The booming music was a welcome change to Kasumi and Kenji's teasing. Aria smiled when she saw Naruto and his team come up to her with Liselle clinging to Naruto arm, who gave her a pleading look.

Aria smirked at that. "I'm glad you found my daughter, which I am sure you already figured out."

"Yep." The whole group replied.

"Good." Aria replied before a thought came to mind to tease the blond. She put on a serious mother face and stated. "So, are you planning on courting my daughter, Naruto?"

"W-what?" Naruto stuttered.

"Well, judging by the way my daughter is clinging to your arm, I'd say the two of you are a couple now." Aria replied while her guards all chuckled at the good entertainment. He w

"Wait a second." Naruto replied, sweating up a storm. "Wait a second!"

"Oh Naruto, you really want us to be like that?" Liselle asked, catching on.

"I-I don't know if I am ready for any of that!" Naruto freaked out.

Finally, Aria could not take it anymore and laughed, making the others laugh as well at Naruto's flustered state. "Oh, don't worry, we're just messing with you. Now I have the Engine Core ready to go and got you a better ship to hold it in while also getting your Kodiak in there as well." Naruto didn't know what was really going on so he just sighed and thanked her. He was too flustered to do anything else.

Aria nodded herself. "Like I said, I also have a surprise for you. You know what a Spectre is, right?" Naruto scratched his head, not seeing how this was relevant. "Yeah, they protect Citadel Space and all that. Basically the right hand of the Council, right?"

"Correct." Aria nodded, amusement prancing in her eyes. "Now, since I'm in charge of this place. I hereby appoint you the Phantom of the Terminus Systems. It's basically the same thing as a spectre, but you'll report to me and me alone. I trust you, that is why I am doing this." A slow smile worked its way across her face. "And, just in case you get any ideas, I won't take no for an answer."

Naruto didn't know what to say. He was deeply honored that Aria would choose him to be the protector all of the Terminus Systems. Not that they _needed_ protecting mind you due to being pretty much lawless. He'd simply be reporting to Aria, just as he always had. Giving the position a title was really a formality in and of itself. Still, it was an honor he had no intention of refusing.

"I accept." he managed at last.

"Good, now if you ever need anything, just ask." Aria replied, turning away from him.

"Yeah, see ya later cutie." Liselle said.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something and promptly snapped it shut. Words were unecessary. He had what he came for. Time to say his goodbyes and report back to the fleet while his dignity_-what was left of it-_was still intact. Kasum and Keiji were gone almost before he'd even had the chance to say goodbye. He'd promised to keep in contact with Thane, and Wrex, well...if they ever saw each other again the old krogan promised him an entire barrel of ryncol_-whatever that stuff was-_upon his return.

His mission complete, Naruto gave his farewells to everyone and headed back to the shuttle. Sure enough, the engine core was there, tethered to a gleaming black vessel that put the Kodiak to shame. Years of piloting experienced kicked in as he navigated through the Mass Relay that would eventually lead him back to the flotilla. A few short jumps later and the Mirgant fleet loomed before his vision.

"You are entering a restricted area." A voice crackled over the comm. "Identify."

"This is Naruto nar Alarei, seeking permission to rejoin the fleet."

"Verify authorization."

His answer was clear and simple.

"My body travels to distant stars but my soul remains with the fleet."

There was a silence. Then:

"Welcome back, Naruto nar Alarei." Meaning, welcome back Naruto, child of the Alarei. "Admiral Rael'Zorah's been waiting for you." Naruto puzzled at that one, but decided to ignore the remark. He was probably waiting for the engine core, that's all. He found himself yawning as the docking ports latched into place; securing the shuttle, and its most precious cargo. The mission had taken its toll on him. He was tired. Borderline exhausted, really. He needed to catch some shut eye, and soon. There would be plenty of time for _that,_ once they had their brand new engine core installed, he reasoned.

After he saw Tali, of course.

_After_ he found out what Rael wanted with him.

He could only begin to wonder what the man he'd come to see as his father figure had planned...

...and how very little he knew.

**A/N: Aaaand there you have it! Naruto is not from earth. He's from another planet entirely, one in which humanity became something entirely different than the Reapers predicted! As promised the events of Mass Effect 1 begin next chapter, and Naruto and Tali will almost certainly be at the forefront of things! So will Commander Shepard of course, but that's a given! Because next time...NARUTO AND TALI GET SENT ON THEIR PILGRIMAGE!**


	3. Excursion REVISED

**_A/N: Sorrry! Chapter three had some significant errors and now that I'ma stuck in bed, I've taken the opportunity to adress them. But first things first: To all those who were affected by hurricane Sandy...my condolences. My grandparents live in Jersey and they too are without power. To all those who have lost loved ones...I am so sorry. My family used to live in New Jersey, and my prayers go with you and yours. Don't let this beat you. You're stronger than this. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. And with that..._**

**_...onto the revised chapter three! _**

_This is why we can't have nice things."_

_~Tali._

**Excursion**

Our favorite blond was in the Cargo Hold of the Rayya. After helping Rael on the Aleri out with some Geth parts and other experiments, he'd come down here to work on his modified Kodiak and, having done so, opted to test the limits of biotics. Many Quarians knew he had become a great mechanic over the years and helped fix up a lot of their ships. Still his ship, his 'baby' if you want to go that far, was his main project.

He called it the Black Nova. However, he had modified the Kodiak so much that it didn't look like the original Kodiak any more. The Thruster like attachments were gone, replaced by wheel like attachments. Hell that fused with the ship when not in use, giving it a sleeker look. These wheels could act like real wheels and hover thrusters in need be. It had become a versatile ship that he use on land, water, low altitudes near the ground or up in the sky.

Added to that, the weapon systems were badass as well. He'd combined Rael's tech in his arm and some Turian weaponry to really amp up the guns...that were hidden as well. Finally a prototype weapon was instead on the ship that he had always wanted to try. Fins would rise up from the hull on all four sides and vibrate at high speeds. They would allow him to crash into most enemy ships and then pass through it like it was nothing and completely destroy the enemy ship.

Currently, the blond was punching a reinforced punching bag. He had also modified part of the Cargo Bay to work as a gym for him. As long as he stayed out of the way, he was golden. He also had his trench coat and red shirt off. He was pretty sweaty from training and many female quarians would stutter and quickly leave because they would usually embarrass themselves when they saw him like that, especially Tali.

As he punched the poor bag, his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about his ship and his biotic skills. _Ok…I know I am powerful for a biotic, mostly due to my red biotics. Still, I am not as strong as an Asari. Their powers are pretty cool, I'll have to ask Liselle or Aria the next time I see them. Still, my Constructs, Rasengan, and the Red Hole are good….although _very_ destructive._

The Red Hole attack was something had had developed after seeing a black hole in action. He would start it like a normal Rasengan attack but he would throw it at a large group of enemies. It would then expand into what looked like a fairly large Singularity attack, catching all within its field and then quickly sucking them all into the small ball. It had to be painful. Still, that attack, some mentioned that they felt Dark Energy when it is used. He would have to look into that.

_Then there is Black Nova. I know I could do more to it than I already have. Could I…could I combine it temporarily with other small ships to make a large battle ship. Bah…I'll have to ask Han'Gerrel about that. Besides…are there even any quarians who would want to work with me for that? I know there are a few aliens who would. _

Finally, another thought came to him. He would need parts and other abandoned ships for that. He would have to consult his information network about that. Over the years, he had acquired contacts on Omega and various other planets during his travels. They would tell him about important intel and black/criminal world activities. In a way, he had created Jiriaya's Spy Network.

_Still, when I ask any of them about Jack, they get this nervous look on their face and move to a different subject. It...it is like they don't want me to find her. Actually some of the quarians are like that. Must be trying to protect me or something, but I can handle myself. After all, I managed to find her once already, I can do it again._

It was at this point that another presence made itself known. It was a familiar red suited Quarian by the name of Kal'Reegar. He and Naruto had become good friends over the years, even though Reegar still insists on calling him Sir. Hell he calls Tali ma'am. Way to formal, but Naruto was determined to break him of that. After all, it was Reegar that taught Naruto how to use normal guns better…and oddly enough, a rocket launcher. Still, Naruto's aim was not that great with guns.

"Sir! Admiral Rael wishes to speak to you and Tali." Reegar stated.

Sighing, he didn't want to get into their usual argument about the name, so he nodded and asked, "What for?" He asked, knowing if Rael wanted BOTH of them, it had to be serious. Another reason to not waste time with their silly arguments.

"He mentioned something about your pilgrimage…I'm not sure to be honest." Reegar replied.

"Right, thanks Reegar." Naruto replied as he stopped his punching and went put on his shirt and trench coat. "Argh!" Naruto growled as a jolt of pain; a veritable lance of light and agony, crawled up his arm, forcing him to hold the metal appendage tightly.

"Sir!" Reegar asked with concern.

Naruto waved himoff.

"It is nothing Kal…just those sensations from the past. I felt an intense burn, but I'm arlight now."Naruto said once the pain had gone down. He flexed the fingers of that hand in a vain attempt to banish the phantom pain, but to no avail. It languished, lingering there, in the corner of his mind, awaiting any kind of response from his mechanical arm. Remarkably, the fingers responded, opening and closing as they should.

It's gotten better over the years." he lied.

"Alright, but be careful Naruto. Tali would freak if something really _did_ happen to you." Reegar replied.

"Thanks." Naruto replied before his eyes widened at the mention of his name. "Wait, what?"

"Nothing sir. Just that Tali would freak if something happened to you." Reegar said with some mirth in his voice.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, he swore Kal was smirking under that bucket on his head. _Smug little…_ "Yeah, you're 'prolly right. Wouldn't want to worry her too much."

Reegar nodded. "Right sir, after all, even _I_ can see you're important to her."

Naruto's face went red at that. He'd gained a healthy crush of his own on the Quarian girl in years past. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if Kal meant she merely saw him as a brother figure….after all, they'd pretty much grew up together, so he wasn't going to delude himself. "R-Right. So, how is Veetor doing?" he asked, quickly changing the subject, making his friend laugh.

* * *

><p>"Pilgrimage?" Naruto blinked, some minutes later. He knew what those words meant but even so he was surprised. Over the years, with all he'd done for the quarian fleet, he had come to believe, rather, he thought he was exempt from making a forray into the galaxy. After all, he'd brought back the Raya's drive core only a few months ago! Didn't that count for anything? Apparently not. He realized this the instant he saw Rael usher Tali into the cramped cabin. She moved to stand beside him, fidgeting.<p>

"Tali?" Naruto struggled to conceal his surprise. "What're you-

"Every member of the fleet has to make their own journey sooner or later." Rael continued, studiously ignoring the arching of the blonde's eyebrows. "Unfortunately, due to all the recent geth incursions and what-not, they've become a great deal more dangerous as of late." He indicated his daughter with the wave of a three-fingered hand. "Which is precisely why the two of you will be making your pilgrimage together."

Wait a damned minute! The two of them? On pilgrimage? _Together?_ The word made his heart slam against his chest. _Hard._

"Eh?" Naruto stuttered out. This was the best! He was going with Tali. Now he didn't mind going out of the fleet for an extended amount of time. Besides, he knew the other reason for him being sent out with Tali. Rael wanted to make sure she was safe. He could do that. Naruto just smiled radiatantly. Maybe…he could find out whether Tali liked him as more than a brother figure_….maybe._

Even hidden behind her mask, the radiant smile upon Tali's face lit the entire room.

It outshined Naruto's!

* * *

><p>Naruto was back in the Rayya's Cargo Hold, waiting for Tali. To be precise, he was waiting for her to pack her things. Thankfully, she used his idea of using the Omni-Tool to store everything. Ah, speak of the devil! Tali happened to walk in at that very moment, just as Naruto finished playing a game on his own Omni-Tool.<p>

Soon, Tali walked in as well. Casting an apprasing glance for her companion, she noted:

"I see you're ready."

"Yeah, I'm used to travelling on my own. This is a welcome change." Naruto replied with a smile. "So...you ready to leave this place for a while?" He cast a glance about. This had been her home for far longer than him. Hell, the Migrant Fleet was Tali's home. She'd never so much as left this ship before!

"Yeah, I should be fine." Tali replied, a bit unsure.

Naruto picked up on this.

"Hey, don't worry." He laid a comforting hand on her wirst. "I got your back in this. I will make sure nothing bad happens to you." Tali just stood there in shook before a smile graced her lips, just visible beyond the filter of her mask. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Naruto just chuckled at that.

"Alright then, let's go!" Naruto said cheerfully.

"Wait, I thought we had transport." Tali replied, a bit confused.

"Nope, we got my ride." Naruto replied with a smirk. Tali nodded and got in the Black Nova with him. This was a new experience for her. She never got to ride with him before and she felt that this was going to be great.

As the ship left, Kal'Reegar walked onto the scene. "Wonder how long it will take them to get together."

"So, have any place in mind that you want to go to?" Naruto asked as he sat lazily in his captain's chair.

"Hmm." Tali replied thoughtfully. "I've been curious about the Geth ever since you came to us. I want to track some Geth down and see what they know."

Naruto stared at his cover right arm for a moment in deep thought. He wondered if his words got through to the rest of the Geth. Of course, it was just them in the pod and he really didn't see their ship while inside the pod. "Yeah, that would be a good idea. I'll see if I can get a hold of any of my contacts and see if we can find a few Geth."

"Thank you." Tali replied happily, making the blond smile.

Naruto sat snoozing in his chair. Something he usually did if he had to go on long trips. Of course this time, he had to go with Tali, someone he had a major on. Suddenly he felt something on his lap and he woke up. Opening his eyes, he sat there shocked that Tali was on his lap and but the way her eyes shone through her helmet, he could tell she was smiling.

"Wha-" he managed to say before he was cut off.

"Shh. Just enjoy it." She said softly as she took one of his hands and placed it on one of her breasts. Naruto couldn't believe his luck and seeing that Tali was initiating this, he reached for the other breast and began to rub them both, make her groan in pleasure. She then lookd down at him and said, "We're here, wake up." That certainly made Naruto blink stupidly.

Opening his eyes truly this time, he saw that Tali was leaning over him as he reclined in his chair. "Yeah, we made it to the uncharted planet that the Geth transmission that we picked up said where it would be."

"R-right." Naruto replied, his face a shade of red, making the Quarian girl get confused by his actions. Shaking off his embarrassment, he pressed a few buttons and nodded. However, the scanners did pick up life within the geth group on the uncharted planet that they found them on. Bringing it up on the scene, he found it was a famous Spectre. "What is someone like Saren doing with them?" He asked himself aloud.

"I don't know, let's check." Tali suggested.

"Alright, but the ship traveling with the Geth is putting me on edge. Let's be careful." Naruto said as he saw a strange looking ship in the distance with a few geth ships.

They stealthy made their way down onto the planet with ease. Landing, they got out and scouted the terrain. It was a rocky planet with not much atmosphere. So Naruto's hood was up and it formed a quarian helmet. In fact, he looked pretty badass.

Tali looked at the other way because it gave a hot and mysterious look to her and she was blushing….not that he could see.

Silently, they made their way to the landing site of the Geth. As soon as they got there, there were only a few standing Geth. "Damn, we're too late. Saren is gone." Naruto growled.

"It is not a total loss." Tali replied, "Came wait till one of them is separated from the rest and see what it's memory core has it."

"Good thinking Tali." Naruto replied happily as he watched the Geth go about their business. Finally, one did break off, but only a few feet. Behind their rocky hiding place, Naruto growled in annoyance. "This is going to be harder than we thought. " He then kicked a small rock, and that caught the Geth's attention.

Smirking, his hand shifted into a cylindrical like device that could rotate. "Be ready to scan this thing."

"Right."

Naruto smirked as he stealthily made his way behind the Geth. He light up his Ionic Beam and with a bored look, sliced off its head. Thankfully he managed to catch both the head and body before they made a crashing noise, alerting the other Geth. "Ok, scan it before the memory core goes kaput." Tali nodded and did just that before the memory core fired itself. "Ok, let's go before…" That was all Naruto managed to say before he noticed a few Geth behind her. "Oh…crap!"

Naruto acted quickly because it seemed that Tali couldn't see behind her head. He jumped towards the quarian and took her in his arms before he jumped away. While in the air, he sent a S_ingularity_ into the middle of the group of Geth. That sent them all floating in the air until Naruto and Tali were a safe distance away and then sent a _Warp_ attack right into the middle of the _Singularity_, making it exploded, destroying the Geth in the process.

"That's probably going to bring more of them over here." Tali stated, a little annoyed.

"Then…we gotta get the hell over of here!" Naruto replied, a bit panicked and Tali agreed with him.

They had very little trouble getting off world, but escape was still an issue. Why? Well there was a large Geth ship in their way "We need to get to the Citadel. It is a safe haven and it would be a good time to check out the info we got. Might be useful if this Saren guy is a traitor." Tali stated.

"Yeah, I'll worry about that after we get away from these Geth." Naruto dead panned. "Ok…not sure if the normal blasters on this thing will be enough to take this thing out. Still needs some calibrations. Hmm, that prototype weapon might do the trick." He said as he pressed a button and fins grew out of the sides of the hull.

"What prototype weapon?" Tali asked, a bit nervous.

"Oh, we'll go right through the Geth ship. I am sure we'll survive." Naruto replied before he put on a thoughtful look. "If it doesn't work, we won't live long enough to regret it."

"WHAT?" Tali screamed, but she didn't get enough time to protest because the fins started to vibrate and they spun. Naruto smirked and Tali clung to him and screamed as they spun right through the Geth ship's engine core, making it exploded and they escaped without a scratch. "Ok, now, let's get to the Citadel." Tali just stared at him like he was insane. "What?"

"Is it always this exciting when you leave the fleet.?"

Naruto put on a thoughtful look and said, "No, there are usually more explosions."

"Ugh, C-sec is a pain in the ass." Naruto growled. As soon as they entered the Citadel, C-ces swooped in because Tali was a Quarian and they didn't trust Quarians. That took hours for the idiots to figure out they were not there for trouble or some other bullshit. Finally, Naruto revealed that he was the Terminus System's Phantom. Of course they didn't believe him at first, but it checked out and they were free to go because Naruto was protecting Tali.

Hell, Naruto almost punched out a Turian that called Tali a suit rat when she was just trying to see the council. He really wanted to punch the guy out. Thankfully for the rude Turian, Tali stopped him. "Still, I can't believe I prefer Omega than this place."

"I know, but please calm yourself, for me. I don't want you getting hurt or in trouble." Tali pleaded with the blond.

"Alright, but I _am_ just protecting you. I won't let anything happen to you." Naruto replied seriously.

"I know." Tali replied softly. That comment made her wonder though. Was he only protecting her because he felt hat he was like a brother figure to her. She hoped now. She wanted him to be more than that. "I know, let's go to these wards. They might have some useful information."

"Works for me." Naruto said with a shrug. Tali was right and if these wards were like clubs, then yeah, useful info was going to be found.

Naruto felt that something was off as they walked down a hallway like passage into the wards and the market place. It wasn't the high flying cabs that occassionally passed by the windows or the annoying Volus peddling black market goods. No…it was feeling of being watched. He knew from his time as a ninja that like tidbit was always bad. The feeling got worse as they made their way down another hallway to a seedy bar called Chora's Den.

Places like that always had good info. You just need to know how to get it. However, that thought was put on hold as he had enough of their stalkers and said, "I know you idiots are there. It is no used trying to hide." Tali seemed to jump when a good number of Turians and Salarians came out of the wood work on both sides.

A turian with a gruesome looking scar across his eyes chuckled. "Well, for a _human_, your biotics seem a little too advanced. After all, it is not every day that some _human_ could sense someone like me."

Naruto rose an eyebrow at that. "Got something against humans?"

"Feh, your kind has only been in space for a few years and you all walk around like you own the place. Your kind is more of a bully, trying to worm their way up to the council." The Turian sneered.

"Hmm, well, it is not my problem since I don't really care what my kind is doing since I don't intereact with many humans to begin with…unless you count some of the morons in the Blue Suns." Naruto nonchalantly, but he was on edge. With how heavily arms these people were, they came here for a reason. With a quick hand motion, he told Tali to be ready for anything. She subtly nodded as she felt that something was off.

_I hope you know what you are doing, Naruto._ Tali thought, a bit apprehensive.

"So, now that you know that I just don't care." Naruto drawled, "Care to tell me why you have surrounded us with all this gun power?"

"Tch, you're not as dumb as you look, human." The Turian replied, a little respect gain for this human and only this human. "We are here for the quarian. She has something…..that Saren wants back."

Yeah, if that didn't set off any warning bells, Tali didn't know what else did. It seemed that those Geth working for Saren were more craft that she thought and this Saren guy was more trouble than he was worth. She subtly reached for her shotgun, just in case.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "So…I assume he was wants her dead?"

"Yeah…she knows too much." Turian replied as he checked his pistol, hoping that would deter the blond.

"And if I say piss off?" Naruto replied, getting ready to throw up a barrier. He knew they weren't much, but he could at least knock these fools of their feet with it.

"I say…die!" The turian ordered and all the people under his group opened fire.

_'Typical..._

Naruto grunted to himself as the barrier absorbed all the fire, the bullets rippling harmlessly against the crimson wall. Before the squad could hope to recover, from the shock, he blasted the barrier outward, stunning them for a few seconds. The lead Turian could not believe what he was seeing. This human was the Crimson Biotic that was often talked about in the Terminus Systems! He knew he was in trouble, but he had a job to do. Fisk did not tolerate failure...

Tali nodded to the blond and they opened fire back on the gang that had trapped them. She was thankful to have learned how to use a shotgun; no sooner had they taken cover than, she was about to knock out a few that were behind her. Looking towards the blond for a moment, she saw he was doing a good job himself. Throwing his biotics around like a pro would and occasionally firing off a few rounds from his own pistol. It was an amazing sigh that distacted her for a few seconds…something she would have not done.

The lead Turian saw that the young quarian was awestruck by the human and he smirked. He really didn't know or _care_what their relationship was, but an opportunity had presented itself and he was going to finish the job one way or another. He took aim and fired. Naruto bristled, his senses screaming as the high-velocity projectile tore past his ear...past him.

Talis had a glimpse of the black whisp of the bullet whipping through the air toward her as she flung herself asiide, followed immediately by the shock of a blow slamming into her shoulder and neck. Icey pain pervaded her suit, stabbing into her right arm. A pained yelp fled from her suit's vocalizer.

The blond saw this and all he saw was red. "Tali!" he rushed over to the girl and saw that the bullet hit her in her arm and she already looked to be sick. Her heavy panting a clear sign.

"So…what is she to you? A friend? I guess it doesn't really matter now since you both will be dead soon." The Turian taunted, raising his rifle. "Now...die!"

"Dead…?" Naruto growled. "Funny you should mention that." The blond stood woodenly, not taking enough care. Sparks spat between his fingers, digging deep, bloody furrows against his fists. His anger, barely under control before was producing the most surprising an effect on his biotics. In a way, it worked almost like Kyuubi's influence on the red chakra. Scarlet biotic energy flared all around in a fiery blaze, his equally crimson eyes boring into the alien who'd dared take the shot.

_**"Because you're all about to die."**_

All in all, it scared the living shit out of the Turian and his group of minions.

It was safe to say they were screwed. The blond stood over Tali as he picked up her shotgun. Glancing behind him, he saw the idiots trying to sneak up on him. With a simple flick of his wrist, he sent out a _throw_ and slammed them against the wall. He would deal with them later. No, his real attention and anger lay with the main group and their leader who dared to shoot the girl for whom he'd come to care.

"You were right." He said in a deadly voice. "My biotics _are_ vastly different from the normal human. Now, allow me to show you something that is new to biotic users. I call it…the red hole." He sent out a ball of energy that expanded in the middle of the group, who looked at it and him oddly, thinking it was only a larger singularity. They were soon proven wrong. Abruptly the 'singularity' bulged, drawing them in with the inexorable pull of gravity itself. Boots scrabbled agains the floor, fingers clutched at guardrails, but to no avail. As one they were sucked into the deadly crimson tide, a veritable black hole that shrank with each passing second. A low chuckle fled the blonde's lips as they began to scream; squealing like prey chased from their den. His prey.

"Does it hurt?" He asked conversationally, his words darkened, modulated to a maddened glee. "

Their screams soon reached the apex as the pain they were felling slowly crushed them, atom by atom. _Literally killing them._ Finally, all that was left was a red ball that dissipated afterwards. Naruto turned his head to the others fools that were slowly getting back up and had their guns pointed at him in fear.

"Drop 'em, boys." Naruto cocked the shotgun again for added emphasis, careful to keep himself between Tali and the unforunate gaggle of turians and salarians. "Unless you'd like to end up like your friends?" He knew he'd live to regret it if she took another shot like she had before when they'd first boarded the citadel. He wasn't about to let that happen again. Actually, scratch that. Naruto wanted them to make a move; because he _wanted_ an excuse to _tear their freaking heads off!_

Normally the crimson biotic was a great deal more placid when it came to firefights. He killed, but only when he had to. Now...he just wanted them dead. All of them. He wanted to tear them limb from limb...eviscerate them piece by bloody piece and dance in their entrails until there was nothing left but blood and broken bones.

"I said drop 'em!"

The remaining mercenaries dropped their weapons, unilaterally raising their hands in surrender. He ordered them to their knees, and they obeyed, still terrified of his previous biotic display. Naruto's eye twitched. As did his trigger finger.

"Not good enough."

He fired three times, pumping the shotgun rapidly and they slumped over.

Dead.

With that, his anger lessened and he kneeled down to Tali.

_Oh no. No no no no..._

"Tali, speak to me, please tell me you're ok." He said, clearly worried for the girl.

"I'll…I'll be fine." She managed to say. "I just to get to the clinic. I saw it on the way here. Ugh, I am such an idiot to not use my shields."

"Worry about that later, Tali." Naruto replied as he bit back tears. He was _not_ going to lose her! He already lost one person and he was not sure he was ever going to find Jack.

He found the clinic with ease so as he supported Tali to get inside the clinic, he found a human woman inside with red hair. She looked at the two and quickly helped Tali out of his arms. "What happened?" She asked with a strange accent. He had noticed that some people in the Terminus Systems had other strange accents. Seems it was the same over here as well.

"We ran into some trouble near here. Seems some Spectre named Saren doesn't want his secrets getting out." Naruto replied, "She was shot in the arm, can you please help her?"

The red headed doctor had heard some commotion, but around here, people didn't bother to look. Still she saw the honesty in the boy's eyes and the love was well for the girl. Although, by the he was acting, he was protecting her and hadn't really told her yet. It was sweat. "I am Dr. Chloe Michel. I will help in any way I can."

Naruto smiled brightly at the woman and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"It is no problem. It is my job after all." Dr. Michel replied with a smile before she started patching Tali up.

Meanwhile, Tali watched as Naruto sat in a nearby chair with his head down, so that his hair covered his face. He looked so stressed. So…sad. She knew gunshot wound wasn't that bad, but she had been running a fever in seconds. Soon, she saw drops of water hit the his hands and the ground. He was crying, she surmised. But why? It was not like she was going to die. They had gotten to Dr. Michel in time. "Naruto?" She asked hesitenly. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I failed Tail." Naruto replied before sniffing. "I said I would protect you and you got hurt. I…failed. I knew the risks of going up against a Spectre and then his assassins. I am just so used to fighting alone that I lost track of you and you got hurt because of me."

Tali smiled. "Naruto, I knew the risks as well. Hell, I'm surprised we even made it this far. But we are a ive and I got a little gunshot wound. There is no need to be sad."

"I know, but I hate myself for letting this happen." Naruto replied more tears coming down his face. Dr. Michel just listened on, not interrupting on this touching moment. He felt a confession coming on. "I _promised _that I would protect you. Not only to you and your father, but to myself was well. You are my most precious person! We have live together on the Flotilla for such a long time that I can't anything happening to you. Because I…"

"Because what Naruto?" Tali replied, her eyes wide as saucers behind the visor of her helmet. Normally she cursed the thrice infernal thing, but today, it was to be a godsend. She didn't want him to see her face. Didn't want him to see the flush filling her cheeks, see the shy, tentative smile tugging at her lips. Was the blond actually confessing that he..._loved her?_ As more than friends? More than the brother sister relationship she had resigned herself? _Oh, keela._ Her blabber mouth was acting up again. "A-are you saying that you love me? _Me?_ I would understand if you didn't but-"

Naruto poked two fingers against the curved facet of her helmet; an olde gesture between them. The effect was as immediate as it was pleasing.

"Tali."

"Y-Yes?"

_"Hush."_

"S-Sorry," the quarian sputtered, "its just that I blather when I get nervous and right now I'm very nervous and-oh. I'm blathering again, aren't I?"

Naruto chortled softly. She was just so insufferably cute sometimes! Not a thing like Jack. Thoughts of his lost friend were the furthest thing from his mind, yet he suddenly couldn't help but to wonder; what would she think of this? He had a feeling it'd involve a great deal of blood and _a lot_ of cursing. A mental image entered his mind. _Ouch. _Wincing mentally, he resolved to force himself onward.

"Yes, Tali. I do love you." Naruto said as he raised his head and she saw a soft smile on his lips and a blush as well. "I have had a crush on you for...well, a very long time now." Despite the quarian's sudden_-and all too unexpected-_squeak of surprise he continued, "But I thought you might reject me, that's why I never said anything and just treated you as a sister. I…want to be more."

Tali balked.

"You...love me?"

Naruto's left eye twitched.

"Didn't I just say that, baka?"

Doctor Chloe Michel smiled as she finished patching up the quarian's arm and moved out of the girl's way. And just in time too; because the young quarian launched herself at the blond faster than any bullet could ever hope to, her arms wrapping around his neck in a loving hug. _Ah, young love. _Naruto stiffened only for an instant, then he grabbed her up in his arms and whirled her around_-gently!-_saying her name over and over as if he wanted to hear it forever.

A moment.

The run of a sandglass.

A sliver of time. How long? She could not have said. But when she emerged from that coccoon of safety where nothing mattered but that she was safe and loved within the circle of arms, doctor Michel was still standing there, bemused arms crossed before her chest. Indeed, the doctor's silence spoke chapters; her calm, slate-grey eyes, entire volumes. Naruto chuckled sheepishly, as he_-reluctantly_-set her patient down. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Tali in his own exuberance.

"I...I don't know what to say." The quarian was sputtering hopelessly when he finally released her. "I've felt the same way for such a long time now, but _I_ didn't want to be rejected so _I_ treated you like a brother." She made a soft, sniffling sound. "Naruto...you have no idea how happy this makes me." She gushed out, silently wishing she could brush away the tears behind her mask. "I... had no idea you feel the same way." Tali was at loss for words. Stupid. She felt so stupid! If only she'd confessed to him years before then she wouldn't be in this situation now! It had taken a bullet to the arm to make her confess! Nevertheless, she could not deny the tears of joy fluttering behind her mask. "I want to be with you so much!"

Naruto, not knowing what else to say, contented himself to a small smile as he held Tali in his arms.

"Thank you." he whispered.

"No, thank you!" Tali gushed. "Although...

"Although?"

"Perhaps you should've told me sooner?" She teased.

Naruto flushed, the moment shattered.

"How was I supposed to know you felt the same way?!"

Tali giggled, and just like that, she had his heart again.

"I thought I was being pretty obvious...

Dr. Chloe was getting a little anxious now and she cleared her throat, catching their attention. "I _really _hate to interrupt, but if you really want to get that info out, I suggest you get into contact with the Shadow Broker. Fist is an agent to him…or it….or whatever the Shadow Broker is. If he's after you, then it can't be for anything good."

Naruto groaned.

"Why oh why does _he_ always figure into this...

**A/N: Alright time for the author's note. I changed around the "Red-Hole" scene, making it a great deal more painful for the victims in question. Slowly getting crushed piece by piece...that's gonna be a very unpleasant way to go. The NarutoxTali romance scene needed work as well, so I changed that, too. We get to see Shepard and co. next chapter! Now, sadly, I am off to work (thank GOD its friday) so in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...would you kindly review this revised chapter? Uzumaki Crossover is writing the bulk of the next chapter, so look forward to an update soon!**

**R&R! =D**


	4. Cause and Effect

**A/N: Geh! I've been away too long! I know this story has been gathering dust and cobwebs for far too long now; precisely why I've decided to update it! I'm terribly sorry for keeping ya'll waiting in the dark for so long, but thats about to change! I'm not certain whether Uzumaki Crossover is willing to work on this story with me anymore, but despite this, I still intend to update this story a bit before my next surgery. That's right. I might need heart surgery. Again. Fun, ain't it? But enough sad stuf! I, Neonzangetsu, proudly present you with...**

**...the next chapter of Bring Down the Sky!**

_"Handy ability ya got there, kid._

_~Garrus Vakerian._

**Cause and Effect**

_"Suuure,_ you wanted to make a deal with the shadow broker." Naruto grumbled as he checked the sights of his sniper rifle for what felt like the upteenth time, as though he might somehow detect a flaw he'd missed in his previous inspection. "And he's _such_ a nice being that he's agreed to meet us in person. Isn't that just dandy?"

"Don't make me come up there," Tali's voice crackled through the headset. She was trying to remain upbeat, even so, he could hear the tension in her voice. She was just as nervous as he. If not moreso.

Naruto deadpanned.

"Need I remind you that this is a _bad idea?"_ he hissed over the comlink. Although Dr. Chloe had been the one to suggest contacting the broker in the first place, he'd been opposed to the plan every step of the way. Not only did he not trsut the broker, but the first step of their 'plan' involved letting Tali walk into Chora's Den alone and unarmed to find this 'Fisk' person-he still couldn't get over letting her do that-and set up the deal. He had wanted to go in her place, but sadly he couldn't; his face was known throughout half the know galaxy. That, and he had this awful habit of starting trouble whenever he walked into a bar...

"I'll be fine, Naruto." Tali's voice cut through his reverie like a hot knife through butter. "Stop worrying." It also reminded him why he was so damned angry in the first place.

"Yeah, sure." the biotic groused. "Say that when the bullets start flying."

"Don't sulk," Tali teased. "It'll ruin your figure."

"I'm not sulking." Naruto protested. "And hey! I have a perfectly nice figure!"

"Mmmm...I'm sure you do."

Behind his helmet, the former jinchuuriki felt his cheaks burn with embarassment. _Kami!_ Although they'd confessed to one another, he hadn't expected a relationship to feel this...well, nice. There was no awkwardness between the two of them now that they'd admitted their feelings; if anything, their teammwork had taken a drastic turn for the better. Be it finishing one another's thoughts and sentences, to this elaborate plan they'd just concocted, all the unease he'd ever experienced had simply ceased to exist.

Still, he felt a small twinge of guilt; was he betraying Jack by being with Tali? No! Of course not!

...right?

A tiny voice in Naruto's head reminded him of his promise to Jack, but he roared at it and it retreated into a corner, cowering. When he'd made that promise, he'd every intention of keeping it. And he still did now. But that didn't mean he had to live like a monk until he finally found her. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure _how_ he felt about Jack. His feelings for her were muddled; mixed in with respect and a healthy dose of fear. She was like a sister to him. But she hadn't looked like a little sister when he'd last seen her, only a few months ago...

_Enough!_

Rage filled him again, crimson clouds blurring and warping his vision until the room seemed at the bottom of a stormy red sea. Not red, but cold, implacable fury nonetheless. He felt his biotics twitch in response, ready to unleash the pent up energy simmering just beneath the surface. Naruto tamped it down with an effort, determined not to let his anger get the best of him. He'd cross that bridge if_-when!-_he found Jack. Until then, it didn't matter how he felt about her; right now, his feelings only served as a distraction for him.

Frowning, Naruto bent to perform a prercursory check of his suit. His shields were at maximum, his biotics primed and at the ready, his ammunition loaded with incendiary rounds. Everything was set for their supposed little meeting with the shadow broker and Fisk.

Now if only they could get out of it in one piece and continue on their pilgrimage...

Upon meeting said person they'd been instructed to rendezvous at the meeting point; a seedy back alley in the wards. This reeked of a set-up. Or perhaps that was just the stench of unwashed beings. Regardless, he'd learned his lesson over the years, Naruto had; he now knew better than to trust the word of someone he'd never met before. _Especially_ an agent of the shadow broker. Tali might've been willing to take the man at face value, but Naruto...

...he didn't trust so easily.

So here he was, waiting in the rafters, speaking with her over an encrypted channel while he paced back and forth like a caged animal; desperate to do something, and yet not knowing what _to_ do. There was no way in _hell _the shadow broker would agree to meet with them in person. If he did then he wasn't a very broker in the first place. Was this a double cross, then? Did the broker secretly work for Saren? Considering this _was_ the galaxy's best information broker they were dealing with, the possibilty of betrayal was a little too likely for Naruto's liking.

"I don't like this." he frowned, resuming his pacing. "Maybe we should fall back and-

"Sh!" Tali shushed him. "They're here!"

It was like flicking a switch.

Naruto snapped the sniper rifle down and resisted the urge to fire as he saw their mark; a scruffy looking turian flanked by a pair of salarian bodyguards. Shame. He rather liked salarians. At least he wouldn't see their faces when he had to shoot them. He tracked with their movement, frowning as the turian left his guards behind to block the alleyway. Now why would he do that, if he not to prevent anyone from intruding. The more he saw the less he liked. This alleway was all but abandoned; if a fight went down here, there would be no one to interfere. He sighted down on the turian, the avian-like alien, was edging closer to Tali. Closer than he would've liked.

Unbidden, his finger tightened on the trigger.

_'C'mon girl, just hand it over so we can get out of here..._

"Did you bring it?" the turian asked, peering at Tali.

"Where's the shadow broker?" she demanded, refusing to elaborate on the item in question. "Where's Fisk?"

Naruto wasn't listening; he was getting that prickly feeling in the back of his neck again, and not just because that turian was getting a little too close to his girlfriend! Tali was still recovering from her gunshot wounds, and, putting their earilier confeission aside, he didn't want anything to happen to her. He _refused _to let anything happen to her. If that turian, so much as looked at her the wrong way...he'd be needing new arms, legs and...well, everything else!

"They'll be here." the turian soothed, laying a three-fingered hand upon her shoulder, trailing an arm across the contours of her suit. Naruto _barely _resisted the urge to shoot him dead right then and there. "Now, where's the evidence?"

"No way." Tali slapped the hand aside, much to former's satisfaction. "The deal's off."

For a long moment, the turian said nothing. Then he frowned, and as if at some unseen signal, the salarian bodyguards advanced, weapons drawn. _So much for negotiations,_ Naruto mused to himself, raising the sniper into the sights of an approaching asari. Apparently, the had backup. Not for long. A quick twitch of his trigger figure sent the attractive alien sprawling, courtesy of a hole in her head. He caught movement in his sights, swung around, just in time to notice a pair of heavily armed batarians creeping toward Tali's flank.

_Not on my watch!_

Thanks to vantage pointed afforted by the rafters, he'd all the time in the world to line up a shot. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, slowing the world to a crawl; everything seemed to move at a standstill. He could see the batarians running now, their legs pumping slowly as they hastened to join the impending firefight. To Naruto, they moved a snails pace. He could've waited a full minute and still produced a perfect shot. With a smug smile, he sighted down the batarian on the left, zoomed in.

_Twang!_

There was a muffled thump as the rifle's stock bucked against his shoulder; the only true indication of a shot having been fired. The first batarian went down without so much as a sound, black eyes bulging as the first shot pierced his ablative vest and burst through his heart. Naruto was already sighting up the second before his body hit the ground. His first shot went wide; he still wasn't entirely accustomed to the after effects of a adrenaline rush. His third

Another shot glanced off the sentry's chest, ripping through the heavy musculature of his neck, shredding his vocal cords. Or so Naruto thought. The four-eyed alien loosed a spiteful gurgle in his final moment, finally drawing his comrades attention, alerting them to prescence of the sniper in the rafters; forcing them to seek cover as Naruto put a fourth and final shot between the batarian's four eyes, in recompense for his earlier temerity.

"Sniper!" One of the salarian's shrieked, its voice piquing as it a Smg and opened fire on Naruto's position.

Naruto winced as polonium rounds glanced off his shields, forcing him to roll back into the scarce cover aforded by the rafters. Time had begun to move again; reality slowly trickling back to him through his combat-induced haze. Determined to get off at least one more shot before the rush wore off, he brought the rifle to bear-

_Click!_

Naruto swore as the rifle clicked empty; his brief sniping spree was over. That was what he got for relying on thermal clips!

Naruto bent to a knee, already collapsing the rifle into his pack, his hands knowing the motions even without the advantage of his sight. Never once did he take his eyes away from Tali; he knew his girlfriend still had a few surprises up her sleeve, despite having taken already sought shelter. One of which happened to be rather...explosive.

"Now!" He hissed over the comlink.

Tali, having already primed the grenade now lobbed it forward, even before the salarians could think to fire. The pair gawped at it just a moment too long; subsuquently found themselves bowled over as the concussion wave struck and blasted them from their feet. The turian sqwuaked in surprise, drew his pistol and opened fire.

_"Kill her!_

"Really?!" Naruto hissed in exasperation as he swung down from the rafters, flinging up a biotic barrier before he even touched the ground. "Why does everyone keep shooting at us?!" It would've been a simple matter to snipe his targets from the rail, but he wasn't about to risk Tali's safety over something as foolish as his overblown pride. "This is the second time today! I'm starting to think we're not welcome here on the citadel, eh Tali?!"

"Whatever gave you that impression?" she replied as they took cover behind a stack of crates. In any other situation, he would've laughed at her wittiness. Now, he merely smiled.

"Oh nothing," Naruto popped up out of cover and delivered a scorching retort of his own, the assault rifle roaring to life in his hands, peppering the assasins with hellfire. "Just the bullets!" One of the salarians made the mistake of stepping out of cover a hairsbreadth too soon and took a round to the shoulder; the lucky shot sent him spiraling backwards. A quick _pull_ on Naruto's part dragged pulled him from his feet altogether, leaving him wide open for a well-placed burst from Tali's shotgun. Naruto managed to pump a few rounds of his own into the shields of the alien's comrades before they realized what'd happened; before a withering hail of SMG fire forced both human and quarian to seek cover behind the crates once more.

Another attempt to flush them out of cover was met with fierce resistance; a pair of grenades detonated harmlessly against his hastily erected barrier.

"I don't suppose you have a plan B?" Naruto shouted over the chaos. "We're going to run out of ammo at this rate!"

Tali paused, seemed to consider their options.

"Maybe we could-

The quarian's response was lost in a blistering hail of assault fire; but this retort came not from the assasins, _but from behind._ It took Naruto only an instant to realize who was being fired upon. The tattooed turian and his cronies, their shields already spent by the duo's initial volley, were caught completely unawares; unprepared for the flanking assault, their bodies were swiftly cut to ribbons by the sudden and unexpected assault. A pall descended over the alley as they toppled forward; the only sound that of their dying breaths and Naruto's own harsh breathing.

"Naruto?" He blinked as Tali touched a hand to his, the gesture immediately grounded him. "Are...Are you alright?" Giving her fingers a tight squeeze, he settled into a crouch, still unwilling to give up the relative safety offered by the crates. Still unwilling to let go of Tali's hand. Too close. That had been much too close. Were it not for that unexpected flanking assault, they might've not escaped as unscathed. And he'd still had no way of knowing whether their rescuers were friend or foe. His biotics were still recharging. If they chose to open fire now, if they lobbed a grenade and he wasn't able to toss it away in time...

Abruptly, it occurred to Naruto that these might be his last few moments with Tali.

Before he could think to stop himself, he drew her into a fierce embrace, cradling her helmeted head against his shoulder. Tali squeaked in surprise but offered no resistance, tentatively circling her arms round his neck in kind. Apparently she too realized the awful truth; their shields were down, and their ammo low; they were probably about to die at the hands of their rescuers.

"You know, I really would've liked to see what you looked like under that helmet." Naruto murmurred against her neck, only half-joking. He really _would've_ liked to see her face-at least once-before he died. Not that it even mattered now. But still...he would've rather liked to know the girl behind the helmet.

"Naruto..."

For a long moment, they remained that way, simply holding to one another, waiting for the end. Be it a hail of gunfire, a fiery explosion, or-

_Nothing._

Naruto counted down the seconds until a full minute had elapsed, and still, nothing.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Naruto hissed beneath his breath. His biotics and shields had finished charging; if their attackers planned to take them out, they should've done it by now! A thought entered his mind; were they waiting for them to lower their guard? Did they expect them to come out, guns blazing? Or were they merely savoring their terror?

"C-Sec?" Tali ventured.

"Nah," Naruto shook his head, "They would've identified themselves by now. And if they "

"That _bosh'tet_ set us up!" Tali seethed, her anger only now surfacing upon realizing they were out of danger.

"Told you we couldn't trust him." Naruto shrugged as he collapsed his rifle against his back. Just to be safe, he drew a shotgun instead. He wasn't about to take any chances with their so-called saviours. He motioned as slowly as he could, indicating Tali should circle around the crates _after_ he emerged.

"Be safe." He whispered.

"You too." Tali ducked out of sight.

"Erm...is everything alright over there?" A woman's voice called.

"Everything's just fine." Naruto growled back. "If you're going to kill me, you may as well get it over with."

"Why would we do that?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

Stepping out from behind the crates, he found himself face to face with the leader of the unlikely group, a young woman several years older than him yet not quite his senior. Hair the color of autumn gold framed a heartshaped face from which eyes of the most brilliant jade shone; that same gaze surveying him quickly and calmly; taking stock of his stance, the shotgun clenched in his hands, his apparent willingness to use it. There was an overarching silence as both sides stared one another down, refusing to break the impasse.

"The hell're you?"

"I could ask you the same question." she replied. "You're not with Fisk, are you?"

"Are you?" the woman challenged, training her gun on him.

"Naruto!" Tali cried, her voice betraying her location.

"Damnit, Tali!" Naruto frowned, his voice arching in distress, "I thought I told you to stay put."

"Don't worry about Fisk," the woman reassured, "He got what was coming to him."

"Then I guess there are two things we need to thank you for." Tali replied, stepping out from behind the crates. "Who are you?"

"My name's Shepard," the redhead introduced herself, "I'm with the Alliance, and I'm looking for evidence to prove that Saren's a traitor." She threw an errant glance at Tali, as if only now noticing the quarian at all. "I understand your friend here might be able to help us with that."

"Then we have a chance to repary you for saving our lives," Tali began, but a scathing glare from Naruto ended whatever she might've said. The blond had yet to lower his weapon; in fact, his shotgun remained pointed directly at Shepard's chest. Tali might've been willing to trust them, but he certainly wasn't! His gaze slid across the group, narrowing intently on the woman called Shepard.

"Sorry, lady, but _I_ don't believe ya." Naruto pumped the shotgun for added emphasis, his finger lingering over the trigger. "Now put the gun down." He'd only just gotten Tali out of harms way; he wasn't about to hand her over to someone who claimed to work for the Alliance! He demanded-no, he _needed_ to see some proof first!

"We don't have time for this." The turian standing beside Shepard chose that moment to finally make himself known, only to find himself in Naruto's sights. Much like Shepard, he didn't seem at all fazedby the prospect of having a loaded gun shoved in his face."Garrus Vakerian, C-Sec." the turian introduced himself. "I can vouch for Shepard, but every second we waste here is another second Saren's getting ahead of us." Naruto held his growned, but his confidence wavered-if only slightly-in the face of the turian's resolve. What if they were telling the truth? Maybe they weren't here to kill them after all-

"What's going on here, Shepard?"

Naruto wasn't fool enough to turn his head, even so, he couldn't help but allow his eyes to drift toward the voice. It was a krogan. But not just any Krogan.

_A Battle Master._

Naruto had never actually seen a krogan Battle Master in full armor before. It was a terrifying sight: like a living tank rolling toward him. Beside him, Tali gasped. Naruto sympathized. It was all he could do not to take a step back.

The brute's weapon's weren't drawn, thankfully, but a full arsenal was slotted into his armor: a pistol on either hip, a collapsible heavy-fire assault rifle and high-powered shotgun were slung across his back. His armor had several small holes in the chest, each one ringed with discolored blood. Dark stains ran down from the wounds, tainting the armor and serving as mute testimony to the battles he'd fought against Shepard and her enemies in the wards. Naruto watched him closely; his gun tracking him every step of the way.

The krogan didn't seem to care; he only had eyes for the boy in front of him. He bore down on him with long, heavy strides, the relentless _clump-clump-clump_ of his boots the only sound in the alleyway. For a second Naruto thought he wouldn't stop-he'd just keep walking, churning the human's smaller frame beneath his feet, grinding him to a pulp. Instead, he pulled up less than a meter away, his breath coming in angry, rasping grunts. Naruto couldn't see a damned thing behind the brute's helmet; he was briefly thankful he'd yet to remove his own.

"You lose something, big guy?" Naruto asked. He'd meant it to come out as a stinging accusation, but standing in the shadow of the massive killer before him took all the bravado from his voice. The krogan chortled; it was a deep, throaty sound, laced with menace

"I make it a habit to kill punks like you." the krogan said, his voice dropping to a low growl. Odd. That voice...did he know it from somewhere? It sounded almost familiar...so did that tone!

"Then what's stopping you?" Naruto challenged, silently wondering if he knew this Krogan. There was only one way to find out. "You scared?"

The krogan's big head rolled from side to side, glancing first at him, then at Tali, then his own allies, evalutating his chances.

"I could ask you the same question, runt."

Naruto's left eye twitched.

_"Runt?"_

One insult too many.

Naruto spat a curse and dissapeared; rather, he ceased to be seen. There was a brief ripple of surprise from everyone as his stealth cloak sheathed his body, providing him a crucial chink in the otherwise impenetrable armor of the krogan warrior. His biotics flared fiercely-all but invisible, in the dull crimson light of the wards-a shockwave lurching from his palms even as he clapped his hands together. The blast wasn't quite powerful as Naruto had intended it to be; the force of the blow knocked the krogan's head to the side and tore off his helmet, but it did not knock him off his feet.

He wheeled around with a deafening roar, catching Naruto with a viscious backhand that nearly broke the young man's neck. Naruto staggered backwards, reeling, bringing his artificial arm to bear. Even as he felt the ionic charge build up in his shoulder-as he detected the distinctive pop-pop-pop of Tali's shotgun discharging harmessly against the krogan's hump-he knew their wouldn't be enough time. Shutting it down, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. He braced himself, arms spread wide in challenge. At some unseen signal the krogan charged and Naruto prepared to toss him using that momentum.

The krogan laughed, and suddenly, Naruto remembered.

A memory emerged from his mind with a charge and a roar, an image of a massive krogan in crimson armor, Urdnot Wrex. He would be the one thrown instead. Wrex sneered, a growl, "You humans are too easy to predict, choosing paths of least resistance. Choose the hard, the tough, and you yourself shall prove to be stronger in the end."

_'Heh.'_

Naruto frowned, shifting his stance ever so slightly.

The krogan's grin grew as Naruto caught his arm and twisted it over his shoulder, as if preparing to toss him, and planting his feet. The grin slipped and a quizzical expression cracked as the blond biotic absorbed some of the momentum, before launching his shoulder into the arm while dragging the hand down. With a sickening snap and pop, the krogan's arm broke and the alien let out a roar of pain. He rolled, allowing himself to be tossed by the excess force and stood, ready for the next attack. The krogan's roar turned to laughter and excitement filled his eyes as he said, "Not bad, kid! You ever fought a krogan before?" Naruto opened his mouth to reply but winced instead; he could taste blood inside his helmet where the krogan's first blow had nearly split the casing in twine.

"Once," he coughed, grimacing as blood flecked the front of his visor. He'd been hit harder than he thought. "Couple a' years ago."

"Wrex!" Shepard barked. "That's enough!"

_"Wrex?"_ Naruto's head snapped around, whipping back and forth like a puppet severed from its strings, eyes struggling to adjust in the gloom. "You mean this guy is-

It was a mistake.

**"Don't take your eyes off me, boy!"**

Naruto could only blink as the massive alien plowed into him like a freight train, bowling him over and slamming him down against the nearest wall with enough force to shatter his spine. For a long moment he felt only a blissful weightlessness. And then there was pain. _Pain_ the like of which he'd never felt before-never experienced-searing up and into his back and shoulders. Tali screamed. The krogan laughed. Naruto...well, try as he grunted. Black spots erupted before his vision, and for a moment, just a moment, he was certain he'd black out. _'Don't you break,'_ He screamed at his spine, his body creaking under the strain. _'Don't you fucking break on me..._

_"Godamnit Wrex, I told you to stop!" _he was dimly aware of Shepard's voice, accompanied by the harsh crack of something solid. He would've laughed, had he not been in so much pain.

He could feel the steel yield against his hardsuit, as the krogan laid hold of his throat; the massive fingers slowly increasing the pressure with each passing second. Desperate, he flung a shockwave at the battlemaster; the krogan merely laughed and smashed its massive head against his helmet.

Stars-whole planets!-detonated before his vision, exploding into a supernova of blinding white

Ouch!

Naruto felt his tenuous hold over the singularity he'd been forming in his mind shatter, his head lolling weakly to one side as the krogan repeated its

The alien loomed above him, turning its head slightly so it could fix one of its cold, reptilian eyes on him. Naruto was no coward, but he felt fear grip his heart, as he stared up into the dead, black pupil. Then he smiled, a slow grin that tugged at his whiskered cheeks and made him look oddly fox-like. That scar. He knew that scar anywhere! Even with one eye swollen shut, there could be no mistaking that face.

"Wrex!" Naruto choked out; he'd never been so happy to see that ugly ol' mug in all his life! "What're you doing here?!"

"Kid?" the massive reptile blinked, his chokehold lessening, albeit only slightly. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." Despite the lessening of pressure, Naruto managed to wriggle an arm up to his helmet and loosen the seal enough to remove his helmet. He had the briefest satisfaction of watching the krogan blink, perhaps in shock, or surprise, he knew not. He did know one thing, however. He couldn't breathe! "Ya mind letting go of my throat now?" Realizing the youth wasn't trying to kill him anymore, the krogan complied. He slowly took a step back from Naruto-

-and subsuquently found himself bowled over by Tali. The quarian all but shoved the krogan aside in her haste to reach Naruto, helping the battered blond to his feet.

_"Bosh'tet!"_ She spat, her words all but dripping with venom.

Naruto cringed as she raised her omni-tool to inspect his wounds.

"Sorry Tali...

"Not you!" She assured him softly, glaring bloody red daggers at Wrex. "Him!"

_"Me?"_

"Yes, you!"

It was a rather humorous sight, watching one as massive and intimidating as Urdnot Wrex balk before the slight, slender form of a quarian girl.

But Urdnot Wrex was no fool. He'd seen his way around the galaxy many a time over, and he knew a thing or two about love, maybe more. As he watched Tali fuss over Naruto, applying medi-gel to his wounds, a slow smile dawned on his large face. It was there. Be it how the quarian girl hovered at his elbow the kid or the way she held herself...there was no mistaking it. She was stricken over the boy. But did he feel the same? One glance at the boy-at his flush, the way his hand lingered over hers as she applied the medi-gel to his wounds-was all the old krogan needed to confirm his suspicions.

His head snapped back to Naruto, his already larger grin growing larger still.

"Since when did you get yourself a mate, kid?"

"M-Mate?" Tali queaked.

Naruto flushed. Wrex was never going to let him live this down.

"It's...kinda a long story...

"We've got plenty of time." The krogan chortled.

"Well...um...you see...

The former shinobi cast about, desperately searching for some way to change the topic.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"You can explain it in the ambassador's office." Shepard ventured. "He'll want to see this anyway."

**A/N: Consider this a teaser for what is to come lol. The story's going to be somewhat different with Naruto's unique brand of chaos onboard! Again, I apologize for the short chapter, but work is pressing me hard, and I at least wanted to get SOMETHING out there to all you guys and gals. Naruto has inherited quite a few abilities from most classes, one of which, I'm sure all you soldiers recognized that Adrenaline rush sniping spree. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it AND this chapter! I did my level best to keep Naruto in character, and I think I did rather well =D**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...review...would you kindly? And enjoy the possible preview(s)! Its up to you to choose this time! =D**

**(Possible Preview(s))**

_"You're not making my life easy, Shepard." Were the first words Naruto heard upon stepping into the ambassador's office. "Firefights in the wards, an all out assault on Chora's Den-" He cut himself off when he noticed Tali, and finally, Naruto. "Who's this? A quarian?" His eyes narrowed as they settled upon the bloodied blond. "A duct rat?"_

_"Who's this?" Naruto scoffed under his breath, "Another self-serving, pompous asshole?"_

_He had the succint pleasure of watching Donnel Udina's face drain of color._

_Anderson arched an eyebrow, the slightest of smiles playing across his lips_

_"Interesting friend you have there, Shepard."_

* * *

><p><em>Naruto opened his eyes and summarily bit back a groan. White. There was an awful lot of white. Oh. Right. He'd collapsed from his injuries after his bout with Wrex.<em>

_'Looks like I'm the one in the hospital this time.' he thought to himself._

_"You stupid bosh'tet!" Tali was sobbing as she clutched at his hand; as though her words, her tears, could somehow resucitate him. "Why did you have to pick a fight with him? Why do you always have to do that? You, you stupid, **stupid-**_

_"Um...Tali?"_

_The quarian froze-froze!-as he tentatively raised his head._

_"You're alive!"_

_"Yeah, I'm-gack!" Naruto yelped as she promptly glommed him._

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**R&R! =D**


	5. Allies

**A/N: Aaaah, and now I -with the significant aid of fellow author Uzumaki Crossover-turn my eye to the realm of Mass Effect once more. Were it not for him and his significant poking and prodding, I never would've bothered to dig myself out of Skyrim and focus on this story. It truly pays to have friends like that. Someone to give you a good swift kick in the seat when you need it, eh? Ah, but I digress. I've been away from this story for far too long, so as part of my weekly updates...**

**...We humbly present you with the next chapter. May the Mass Effect be ever with you!**

_"Wait, we're doing what? With who?"_

_~Naruto._

**Allies**

"You're not making my life easy, Shepard." Were the first words Naruto heard upon stepping into the ambassador's office. "Firefights in the wards, an all out assault on Chora's Den-" He cut himself off when he noticed Tali, and finally, Naruto. "Who's this? A quarian?" His eyes narrowed as they settled upon the bloodied blond. "A duct rat?"

"Who's this?" Naruto scoffed under his breath, "Another self-serving, pompous asshole?"

He had the succinct pleasure of watching Donnel Udina's face drain of color.

Anderson arched an eyebrow, the slightest of smiles playing across his lips. "Interesting friend you have there, Shepard."

The red head looked a little uncomfortable at that statement. Naruto was not really a friend yet and he was somewhat abrasive, but she could tell that the blond was looking out for the quarian.

Udina shook his head and said, "What are you up to Shepard?"

"Making your day ambassador." Shepard stated, "She has information linking Saren to the Geth."

Like anyone dealing with politics for a living, Udina was skeptical. "Really? Maybe you better start from the beginning, Miss….?"

"My name is Tali. Tali nar Rayya." She said before gesturing over to the blond who looked a little tired from his fight with Wrex, but was recovering quickly. Still,Shepard thought, he looked like he could use a nap. "And this is my…boyfriend." She still had trouble finally processing that information. "His name is Naruto Uzumaki nar Alari."

The collective group of beings in the room all blinked owlishly at the human and quarian name for the blond. It was Shepard who asked the question. "Why does he have a quarian name as well?"

"That's because when I was in the Terminus Systems, our ship was attacked by the re-emerging Geth." Naruto begrudgingly offered. "I escaped along with a friend, but we got separated. I ended up running into the flotilla and they took me as one of their own after I told them what happened." He finished with a shrug. "I've been living with the Quarians ever since."

"I see." Udina replied, wondering in the back of his mind how he would be able to use this. Anderson was just glad the kid was still sane...or at least as close to it as humanly possible. "In any case, we don't see may Quarians here…nor are they accompanied by a human like him. Why did you leave the flotilla?"

Tali was the one to offer up a reply.

"We are on our pilgrimage, our rite of passage into adulthood, but in my opinion, Naruto doesn't need it since he comes and goes as he pleases and he has helped us immensely."

"Meh, I don't mind the tradition all that much." Naruto shrugged.

Shepard nodded at the cultural tradition. She really wanted to ask about it, but she decided that Saren and the Geth were more important. She was speak her mind later on the ship if these two join her. "Please tell us what you found."

"When we set off, Naruto's information network gave him reports of more Geth sightings. We decided to check it out while we were away. I was personally curious because they drove us into exile. We tracked them to an uncharted world, jumped out and extracted the information out of one via its memory core."

Captain Anderson looked confused at this. "I thought the Geth fried their memory cores when they died. Some kind of defense mechanism."

"How did you manage to preserve the memory core?" Shepard asked, genuinely curious.

"It wasn't easy, but Tali's people made them, so they can salvage the stuff when necessary." Naruto replied. "I helped a bit, seeing I learned a lot from them and with the help of my arm, it was easier…but still only a few things were recovered."

"Arm?" Shepard asked, the statement get the better of her curiosity while also peaking the other humans' curiosity as well.

Naruto scowled. "Dumb mistake on my part. When I left my friend in a pod, I swore I would find her again and I ran to help the remaining crew fight off the Geth. I lost my arm and this one is made of Geth parts."

Captain Anderson blinked at that. He thought that was pretty useful. Still, they had to focus on the now. "What did you salvage?"

"Just a few audio files." Tali replied as she tapped a few buttons on her omni-tool. With the audio file up and running, Saren's voice rang out through the room.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beaconhas brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."_

Anderson's eyes widened at that. "That _is_ Saren's voice! This proves he was behind the attack.

"Saren won't get out of this one." Shepard replied, happy they finally got some evidence.

"Wait, there's more." Tali interrupted, "Saren wasn't working alone." Pressing a few more buttons on the omni-tool, she started the recording again.

"_Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."_ Saren voice rang out again.

But the next voice was unknown and female. _"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."_

"I feel like I have heard that voice before." Naruto mumbled to himself, wondering who this person could be.

Udina saw that Naruto was having trouble recognizing the voice, so he began to talk himself. "I don't recognize that other voice, the once talking about the Reapers.

"Are they some kind of new alien species?" Shepard asked.

"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago. The Reaper hunted the Protheans to total destruction and then they vanished. At least, that what the Geth believe."

"So…not new." Naruto replied as he leaned against the wall next to Wrex. "However, they are new to us."

"Sounds a little far fetched." Udina replied.

Shepard rubbed her head as she thought about the beacon's vision. "The vision on Eden Prime…I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers."

"Vision huh?" Naruto asked. "Only Asari really care about that, the other races could care less about that crap, but the Geth do revere the Reapers as Gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe that Saren knows how to bring them back. I would rather not risk died by them, but I wonder how good they are in a fight, eh Wrex?"

The Krogan chuckled. "Oh, I would count on them being truly tough, though I doubt you could beat one if you can't even beat me."

Naruto's eye twitched. "Hey, I beat that other Krogan!"

"A young idiot is all he was." Wrex grunted, making Naruto growl.

"The council is just going to love this." Udina sighed at all the revealed information.

Shepard glared at the man and said, "The Reapers are a threat to every species in Citadel space. We have to tell them."

"Don't forget the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Space will be in trouble too….but they are a bunch of badasses, so not by much." Naruto replied with a glare.

"No matter what they think about the rest of this, those audio files prove Saren's a traitor!" Captain Anderson replied.

"The captain's right. We need to present this to the council right away." Udine stated.

"What about Naruto and Quarian?" Wrex asked.

"My name is Tali." She replied forcefully, still not liking him because of his fight with Naruto. "So saw what we could do in the ally Commander, you know what we can do. "Let us come with you!"

"Wait what?" Naruto asked, knowing how this was going to end.

"I'll take all the help I can get." Shepard replied with a small smile. She turned her head to Naruto and smile. "From both of you."

"Great….go on a pilgrimage and end up going on a man hunt to save the galaxy from a mad man wanting to bring the Reapers back to kill us all. Fun." Naruto grunted.

"Oh quit your bitching." Wrex replied, slapping the boy on his back, almost making him fall on his face. "I am sure you will get to fight some strong beings."

Tali smiled behind her mask. Naruto's way of thinking was a little morbid, but she had heard what he did on his own and this was not much different. "Thanks, you won't regret bringing us aboard."

"Anderson and I will go ahead and get things ready with the council. Take a few minutes to collect yourself and meet us in the Tower." Udina replied as he and the captain walked out of the office.

"Great, we get to meet more stuffy politicians." Naruto grumbled, making Wrex laugh out loud.

"Welcome to the Citadel kid!" Wrex laughed, getting a smile from Shepard as well.

"Ugh, I'd rather deal with Omega…" Naruto groaned.

* * *

><p>As they made their way up the steps to the Council chambers, Anderson met them half way. "Come on, Udina's presenting the Quarian's evidence to the Council." As they followed the man, they indeed heard the familiar voice of Saren talking to the mystery voice.<p>

With a dramatic flair of his hand, Udina shouted, "You wanted proof, there it is!"

One look at the council showed that they were truly not happy. Not happy at all. The Turian councilor was the most pissed off due to Saren being one of his own. Shaking his head he said, "This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre statues and all efforts will be made to bring in to answer for his crimes."

The Asari spoke up as well, looking down. "I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren. Matriarch Benezia."

"I feel like I have met her once before." Naruto mumbled again.

Shepard rose an eyebrow and asked, "Who's she?"

The Asari Councilor was more than happy to answer that question. "Matriarchs are powerful Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives. Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren."

Finally, the Salarian councilor spoke up after being quiet for so long. "I am more interested in the Reapers, what do you know about them?"

"Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core." Captain Anderson began, but all this droll was boring Naruto to hell, so he thought he would talk as well.

"Oh you know, the usual about them being responsible for wiping out the Protheans 50,000 years ago and then vanishing, where did they go? Nobody knows. Hell they are machines, they could be anywhere." Naruto replied, being all theatric like Udina was. It was fun, but still not his thing.

The Asari councilor widened her eyes upon seeing him, not knowing him personally, but knowing of him. Before she could speak, Shepard finished for him. "The Geth believe the Reapers are Gods and Saren is the Prophet of their return."

"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's way he attacked Eden Prime." Captain Anderson offered.

"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" The Salarian councilor asked.

Shepard shook her head and said, "Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers. That's bad enough."

Like usual, politics got in the way and those in it always wanted proof. For that, the Turian Councilor spoke up. "Listen to what you're saying! Saren wants to bring back machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible, it has to be! Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we have found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we would have found something!"

_I wouldn't be too sure about that._ Naruto thought as he pictured his old home. He existed, so they must have too. This situation with the Reapers is the same damn thing in his opinion. That brought another question into all of this. When did he start caring about all this?

Ignoring Naruto's inner thoughts for the moment, Shepard grew annoyed with the Turian's constant disbelief of their words. "I tried to warn you able Saren and you refused to hear the truth. Don't make the same mistake again."

The Asari Councilor shook her head. "This is different. You proved Saren betrayed the council. We all agree he is using the Geth to search for the Conduit, but we don't really know why."

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander." The Salarian councilor replied. "A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the Geth to his will."

"Fifty thousand years ago the Reaper wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!" Shepard announced, still fighting the council on this.

"Saren is a rogue agen on the run for his life." The angry Turian Councilor replied, "He no longer has the rights or resources of a spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position."

"That is not good enough!" Udina growled out as he clenched his fist. "You know he is hiding in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!"

"A fleet cannot track down one man." The Salarian Councilor replied, believing that was over kill.

Udina sighed. "A Citadel fleet could secure an entire region. Keep the Geth from attacking any more of our colonies!"

The Turian Council countered with his own paranoia, "Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems. We won't be dragged into a confrontation over a few dozen human colonies!"

"Or." Naruto's voice rang out once more, "send one person with a crew full of us aliens to show him what's what. I say send Shepard since she knows what she is doing and what is already going on. And if you are that worried about the Terminus Systems attacking you, for a little mobilization, don't. You know Aria's saying, Don't Fuck with her. If you don't actively attacker and for her men, then she would bother doing shit."

"I have been meaning to ask this, but you are Naruto Uzumaki, correct?" The Asari Councilor asked.

"Yeah, that's me." Naruto replied with a shrug, not seeing how important that was, but a little put off that they already knew his name.

"I have heard a lot about you from Aria. I heard she made you her Spectre equivalent." That sent all eyes, even Tali's, to him and a hush went through out the room. "Also that you are a human that has lived with the Quarians for a good portion of your life. I can see why she did such a thing with a multicultural person."

"Yeah….." Naruto sighed but then got an idea. "If you want to play that card then how about we do this. Since I am the Phantom of the Terminus Systems, I recommend that you make Shepard here your Spectre. Like I said, she knows what she is doing and with me on board, this could be a joint mission between Citadel Space and the Terminus Systems to take down Saren before he brings hell to the Galaxy and we all die. I mean, if Aria can trust me, why can you trust Shepard?" _I still don't but this could be a good bonding experience…bah! I am just in it for the fights!_

The Asari Councilor smiled. "The Phantom is right. This why we don't have to require the use of our fleets or armies."

"No! It's too soon." The Turian Councilor replied, not liking this idea. He was surprised that Aria of all people choose a human to do her own dirty work. "Humanity is not yet ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres!"

Despite the Turian's words, Shepard was smiling. Not only because of the Asari Councilor's support but also because of someone she just met with the Quarian. "You don't have to send a fleet into the Traverse and the Ambassador gets his Spectre. Everybody's happy." She replied.

The councilors all looked at each other in silent conversation. Mostly it was the Salarian and Asari Councilors staring at the Turian until he begrudgingly nodded. He didn't have to like this decision. So with that, the three made their decisions on their datapads and stood ready to let Shepard be their Spectre.

"Commander Shepard, step forward." The Asari commanded.

Shepard and Anderson looked at each other before nodding. Shepard stepped forward as she put her hands behind her back as a sign of attention and respect. This event was monumental to all of humanity. All eyes were on her now. She had to be respectful.

The Asari spoke once more. "It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel.

The Salarian Councilor folded his arms and said, "Spectres are not trained, they are chosen. Individuals forged in the line of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above rank and file.

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of out will." The Asari continued.

Begrudgingly, the Turian spoke next, "Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defence. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander." The Asari spoke again. "This is a great accomplishment for your people and your entire species."

Shepard bowed and said, "I'm honored, Councilor."

The Salarian spoke next. "We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice and as such, you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"I'll find him." Shepard replied with her own brand of determination.

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned. Good luck commander with your Phantom counterpart." The Asari stated before she and her fellow councilors left the stage.

Once she and the others were gone, Naruto spoke up once more. "Good god! I swear all politics are over-dramatic acting." He shook his head with a weariness that Shepard found alarming in his age. said. "Serious, all Aria did was say that I was her Phantom and bam! It was done and over with!"

"That's politics." Udina replied, a little ticked off having had his profession slandered.

Anderson ignored Udina's silent fuming and shook Commander Shepard hand. "Congratulations Commander."

"We've got a lot of work to do Shepard. You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies…"

"You get access to special equipment and training now. You should go down to C-Sec Academy and speak to the Spectre Requisitions officer." Anderson offered.

"Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set all this up!" Udina ordered, acting like business was usual.

As they walked away, Tali spoke her mind to Shepard. "I thought the Ambassador would have been a little more grateful. He didn't even thank you." She risked a glance at Naruto, but for all intensive purposes her new boyfriend seemed to be keeping his own counsel at the moment. He had a strange gleam in his eye-one that said he wasn't entirely pleased by this outcome. But what could've gotten under his skin in such a short time afterward? One could only wonder.

Shepard sighed, breaking the quarian from her thoughts.

"Until I find Saren, I haven't done anything."

Naruto chose that moment to mutter something under his breath. Shepard didn't hear it. Tali, with her sensitive hearing, did.

"You say something?" She asked, falling back into step with him.

The blond nodded and flexed the fingers of his geth arm as they continued on behind Shepard. Tali contemplated the artificial artifice for a moment. He'd been complaining of pains in his newfound limb as of late; she'd wondered if they were what preoccupied his mind now.

"Just a feeling."

"A feeling?" Tali sidled up to him, her shoulder brushing with his. Under most circumstances she wasn't used to such contact, but now that they were, well, together...she just couldn't explain it. She felt a need to be by his side, so powerful it was almost physical. And she wasn't adverse to it. Slowly, tentatively, she reached for his hand, meshing her fingers within his own. Naurto smiled slightly at this contact, the storm clouds slowly fleeing from his vision. He nodded for a second time.

_"I think this is gonna be one loooong pilgrimage."_

Tali couldn't help but to agree with him.

"Oh, its not so bad." she nudged him aside with an elbow. "You do have some friends, remember? We have Wrex, Shepard...

She half-turned, gazing at him across her shoulder, fumbling with the words behind her helmet.

...and you have me."

"That I do, Tali." Naruto's smile bloomed from a slight smirk to a beatific grin. Then he tugged her towards him. Before Tali could protest he drew her into a strong embrace, leaned forward, and pressed both lips to her helmet. It was the closest they could ever come to kissing without risking an infection on her part and although it was a far cry from a true kiss-the way he held her in that instant sent her heart hammering like a dozen drums the pounding of which resonated somewhere deep inside her like the rhythym of a great symphony, crescendoing higher and higher until it was all she could do not to remove her mask and kiss him breathless. It might even be worth risking an infection...

_Keelah!_

Tali shook herself and pulled away from him. Rather, she tried. But her body didn't listen, she stroked his face with a three-fingered hand, caressing his whiskered cheek in fascination. They were so smooth...

"Hey," Naruto purred, "That feels nice." He dipped an arm lower around

_Stop stop stop! _Tali desperately tried to muster her flagging self control. Because she didn't want him to now, not ever-

"W-We should be going." she sputtered, her cheeks flushing violet behind her helm. "Wouldn't want them to leave us behind...

"Yeah, guess you're right." Naruto conceded. He still didn't release her hand, even when she allowed him to lead.

They walked that way in silence, simply holding hands, enjoying one another's company.

A bittersweet thought pierced Naruto's mind, intruding upon their happy moment. _Jack._ Once again thought of her came roaring back. Where was she now? What was she doing? Was she still alive? Was she dead? Dear god, did she think _he_ was dead? What would she think of him and Tali? Try as he'd might, he couldn't bring himself to push these thoughts from his mind. Not entirely. They hung there like a bad aftertaste, condemning him for being happy while she was out there somewhere; probably lost and alone and it was his fault _and oh how he missed her-_

"Naruto?"

The former jinchuuriki blinked, shook his head. Tali didn't know how felt about Jack. She could never know. Because he cared for her. Deeply. Dearly. By the ancestors...he might even love her. This thought chilled him to the core. He was starting to realize just what he felt for Tali. But how did he feel about Jack? They'd spent years in captivity together under the thumb of Cerberus, only to be separated. He'd only caught of a glimpse of her and that glimpse had been enough to stir old feelings up, mixing them into a maelstrom of nostalgia and emotion. He would find her, he promised himself. And when he did he would square things with her and of course Tali, ridding himself of this monkey on his back; this neverending guilt that came back to plague him at the worst of times.

"Naruto?" Tali was looking at him with concern now. He needed to placate her.

"No, its nothing." Naruto replied. "Just pre-mission jitters, I guess. Never gone after a Spectre before". Liar, his subconcsious hissed. it wasn't jitters. He'd faced down worse than this and come out on top. He hated not being able to tell her the truth; because he didn't think she'd be able to bear it. And he didn't want to lose what they'd only just found in one another. _Just a little while longer, Naruto. _he told himself. _You will be able to tell her soon, someday soon..._

He swore to himself for a final time that he would make things right between himself and Jack the moment he found her. He would tell her what had happened with him and Tali, would make her understand, and all this damned anxiety would turn out fine and dandy. Then this guilt would be just a memory.

"Just a memory." the words were soft, unheard even by Tali.

Steeling himself, Naruto held tight to Tali's hand and continued after Shepard...

_...taking one more step towards his destiny. _

**A/N: And there we go. I had originally intended to make this chapter longer, but work has been INTENSELY demanding of late, and I barely have the time anymore. Events pick up rapidly as of the next chappy: we meet Liara, chaos and hilarity ensues, and much much more where Naruto is involved. As one can tell he's hardly a pushover in this story, but feels obligated to help Shepard after all that has happened. And he's right. This is gonna be a looooong pilrgimage. And DAAAAAW for Tali and Naruto! The question is...how long will it last? Find out next time...**

**...on Bring Down the Sky**!

**And of course, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...REVIEW, WOULD YA KINDLY? **

**R&R! =D**


	6. Spaceward Bound

**A/N: Whassup peoplz! I hope you're all enjoying this updating spree as much as I am! On another note, my most recent update Vanguard of Shinobi, got a bit of hate as I killed off an influential character early. I would like to apologize for that. But I had it planned for quite some time, and as I've always said time and time again, I strive to make each and every one of my fics as unique as humany possible. But that doesn't mean I don't get attached to the characters-nor do I relish killing them unless they're a villain. But enough about gloom and doom and death! Ya'll came here for the next chapter of Bring Down the Sky! And with that...**

**...here you go!**

_"Mors Proditoris, bitch!"_

_~Jack._

**Spaceward Bound**

Naruto's first thoughts on the Normany SR-1 were something along the lines of:

_'I could do worse.'_

It was a fine craft, make no mistake, having been jointly designed by humans and turians but there was obviously room for improvement. For starters, the FTL drives could stand to be improved, and then there was the matter of the hull's armor, not to mention its weaponry...ohhh, the things he could do to this thing! He could feel his fingers twitching, silently aching to tear the Alliance vessel apart and imrpove it. He'd picked up such notions in his years with the quarians and now the nudged at him, like an intch he loved to scratch. Because, for all his love of battle...

...he just loved to tinker.

He loved to prank, too, but that was another matter for another time.

The question that stood before him, however, that had his mind whirling with possibilies, was thus. Did he truly want to tinker with the Normandy using his own funds, thereby exhausting them? He'd saved up plenty of resources during his tenure as Aria's Phantom but in all likelihood, would most likely end up wasting those resources on a vessel he wasn't even certain he'd set foot on ever again. Grrrr...frustrating!

"Naruto...

"Hmm?"

Taily was eying him nervously, her worry evident even through her mask.

"You've got that gleam in your eye again." the quarian frowned. "Is something the matter?"

"The cake...is a lie, Tali." Naruto exhaled in a long-suffering sigh, looking as though he might weep at any moment. "They offer you something soooo tempting, but in the end, its just a fictuous motivator. Damn you for tempting me, Alliance!"

"Okay..." Behind her helmet, his girlfriend blinked. "What?"

"I said the cake is a lie!"

"What's the kid on about?" Ashely whispered to Shepard as the blonde continued to rant and rave. "Moreover, are you sure we can trust him? He kinda strikes me as the thuggish type..."

"I trust him, Ash." Isabelle remained staunch in her opinion. Unfortunately, Williams didn't seem to share the sentiment.

"Just don't expect me to, at least not right away...

Naruto's ears pricked up at that one. Couldn't trust him, eh? Thuggish type...eh? Well now, they couldn't have that. He'd anticipated such an outcome, so he'd sent a clone ahead to prepare a little surprise...just in case things had gone south. Smiling, he touched a hand to his omni-tool, encoded a brief message, and sent it to the commander's headset, just as she stepped away from her fellow human.

"Ummm...Shep?" his voice snaked into her ear. "I would touch that if I were you...

The redhead paused, her palm hovering just over the panel that would open the door and grant them access to the Normandy. One look at the blonde and his emphatic shake of the head told her that opening said door would result in...less than pleasant circumstances for her. Now while she normally didn't condone or tolerate such superflous behavior and while a part of her wondered how the devil he'd managed to sneak aboard the Normandy in the first place, she also recognized the need for those under her to relieve there stress. Besides, the blonde didn't strike her as the violent type; whatever he'd prepared didnt neccessarily have to be lethal to get his point across. Hopefully her instincts were sound in that at least...so why did she get the succint feeling she was about to die of laughter?

"On second thought Gunnery Chief, why don't _you_ go first?"

Shrugging, the brunette stepped past her commanding officer.

"Whatever you say Sheeeee_eeeeep!"_

Her words ended in a decidedly feminie squeak as the door rushed open, revealing the trap lying just belond the archway. Ashley barely had time to recognize the springloaded trap and the bag of flour before the latter catapaulted itself forward with tremendous force, and it would've collided were it not for years of military training. At it were, she simply dodged aside, leaving the harmless bag of baking goods to whisk past. Anticipate danger at all times. That was her motto. What she _failed_ to anticipate, however, was the power of biotics, and it was this that truly caused her to squeal.

Scarce had it missed her than a subtle nudge from a certain biotic swung the bag back around to detonate right in her face; knocking her on her ass, and all but dousing her body in a shower of white powder. Coughing and hacking, sputtering and sneezing, she sat there for a long moment, unable to believe what happened. Then she reddened with embarassment.

"Alright, who did that?!"

Naruto and Wrex promptly burst into hysterics, neither willing to admit to the crime. Shepard raised her hands in a helpless shrug. It was only the fact that Kaiden had chosen to remain onboard the ship that saved him her scrutiny, and thus prevented him from being amongst the lists of suspects. The quarian was doing her best to appear _mortified_ though even she could be seen shaking from her attempts to stife her own amusement at the woman's expense.

Tali took one look at the flour-covered Ashley, then returned her attention to the still-snickering blonde, nearly pissing himself from laughter. It didn't take much to realize what he'd done. Her crush was many things to be sure...subtle the least amongst them. If you were unfortunate enough to ever piss him off in any sort of signifcant way, a prank was the least of yours worries. The girl had gotten off easy in that regard, she thought to herself, and she made it known to the blonde.

"You clever little Bosh'tet."

Naruto's laughter could be heard throughout the docking bay.

"BAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

><p>Planets away, Jack suddenly smiled.<p>

It was strange, she thought, wearing that expression after so long. To be feeling her lips quirk upward-her heart quickening with something akin to joy. She didn't know why she was smiling, or even how; only that she was suddenly certain Naruto was alive and well. Clever bastard had probably just pulled one over on someone. But the knowledge that he was enjoying himself without her did not rile Jack. If anything...this thought did the exacat opposite; making her interrogation all that much sweeter.

"So, assface," she began cheerily, addressing the bloodied Cerberus operative at her feet, "Are you going to tell me where you last saw the Crimson Biotic?" That was Naruto's given handle nowadays as far as she knew-just as she knew Cerberus had been keeping tabs on him. And her. They'd never really been free since their tumultuous escape all those years ago; at some point the pro-human organization had become aware of this and finally tracked them down, never daring to take action...until now.

"Or do I need to _persuade_ you again?"

This "persuasion"of hers involved the wrenching his limbs out of their sockets with biotics until he blacked out, them painstakingly breaking them apart inch by inch, leaving the man to wake to new and resounding pain the better by which he might break. It was by no means a precise proccess, even with all her restraint it was difficult not to tear him apart from the inside out. She'd already shattered his knees during her last attempts to make him talk, she had to be careful to avoid his chest and throat, lest she break something important.

"Go to hell, _biiiiiiiiitch!"_ His words ended in a strangled scream as his arm twisted itself out of alignment.

"Oh, was that you arm?" her voice was little more than a perverse purr of pleasure as she popped it out socket. "That was your _arm,_ wasn't it?"

Besides, it wasn't as though she enjoyed hurting him...okay, maybe she did. This man was Cerberus after all. Responsible for the hell they'd been through, and likely responsible for so much more. Was it so wrong then for her to eke out a little pain. Hence the man beneath her tattooed foot. Cerberus had been tracking them. And it stood to reason that if they'd tracked her down, then naturally they must've learned his last location as well. He might even have a beacon planted somewhere within him like they'd done to her, the better to track him with.

Cheeky bastards!

"Went...into the Traverse!" the man rasped at last, blood flecking his beard. "With...Shepard! Now please...let me go!"

"The tracker?" Jack extended a hand, expectant.

"H-Here...release me! You promised!"

"Yeah I did, didn't I?"

Jack laughed, a sudden jolt of elation suring through her veins. Now she knew where to look. And a tracker as well? That made her work even easier. She'd be reunited with him before she knew it! So long as she kept away from the basic interstellar lanes and away from that derranged turian hellbent upon capturing her...

Grinning, she drew her pistol, sighted down on the quivering man, and pulled the trigger.

_"Mors Proditoris, bitch."_

* * *

><p>One hot bath later-on Ashley's part-and the docking clamps disengaged, freeing the Normandy with the lighest of lurches. It glided out into a sea of stars, reached the relay, and jumped. Naruto wasn't one to consider, let alone appreciate the effecs of a Mass Relay, he preferred something he could use with his hands. Something that didn't involve quadratic equations and so much...math. Things like the interior of the Normandy, for example. That was something he could wrap his mind around. This, the tour of command deck upon which he was being led, was something he could appreciate; his only regret was that Tali was too busy exploring the engine room-courtesy of engineer Adams-to join him at the moment.<p>

Girl sure did like her engines...but he liked his ships better. Speaking of which...

The human vessel was as impressive within as it was without Naruto thought, although his cybernetic arm earned him more than the occassional glance from the crew. Not that he cared. It wasn't as though he'd extend his stay on the ship, nor did he intend it to be a permanent one. How hard could it be to stop one rogue spectre and an army of geth with a ship like this, a crew like this? He had full confidence in their abilitiies, not just his own, but those of Tali and Wrex, and perhaps even this Commander Shepard.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about the turian. Or the other two humans for that matter. Actually, scratch that. He was fairly certain just how he felt about Ashley Williams. Uptight. Strict. Stern. Those were his three _least_ favorite He'd have to do something about her. Perhaps another prank or two was in order?

As for this Kaiden Alenko, well, according to Shepard, he was about to meet him. Naruto, being Naruto, wasn't certain what he should expect, only that she'd told him the man was a biotic like him. Well, not _exactly_ like him, what with his crimson biotics, but you got the picture-

"So this is him?"

The blonde blinked, broken from his reverie by the sound of someone's voice. He looked up, momentarily alarmed to find he'd nearly run smack into said someone.

Alenko, having more than twenty years to the blonde's sixteen, stood about a head taller than him, His dark hair and blue eyes weren't those of a warrior however; rather, they belonged to a soldier. This man had seen combat, but it hadn't changed who he was. Naruto found himself liking the man already. But he'd liked Sasuke too, and look how _that_ turned out.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Shepard began, "meet Kaiden Alenko."

"Shepard tells me you're the Crimson Biotic." no preamble, then. Straight to the meat of the matter. Even better.

"She tells you right." Naruto replied, not quite able to keep the smile from his face. "I know a few tricks."

"Care to show me-whoa!"

His sentence ended in surprised grunt as a crimson aura engulfed him, hoisting his body a few centimeters off the air. Naruto hadn't even raised his hand. He'd simply narrowed his eyes, _focused_, and Kaiden found both feet leaving the floor, hovering just off the deck itself. He hung there for a moment, arms pinwheeling for balance, his expression torn somewhere between surprise and satisfaction.

"Not bad." he admitted. "I didn't even see you move a muscle!"

"That's because I didn't." Naruto replied steadily, his jaw locked and stern with supreme concentrations. "I'm lifting you using only my mind. It's not something most Biotics can do on their own. Guess you could say I'm special." And he was. He wasn't sure whether it had something to do with his former possesision of chakra, only that he was harder, better, faster, and many times stronger often than most biotics. It was very useful to have in a firefight, he could soak up a veritable firestorm with his barriers and keep right on fighting. when

"I did tell you he was special."

"You did, didn't you?"

"Alright Naruto," Shepard cut in with an amused laugh, "Put the lieutenant down before you break something."

"Sheesh," he groaned in compliance, "You're no fun...

The man grinned, utterly at ease despite the boy's disparity.

"Nice ta meet you too, little man."

Naruto laughed bumped fists with his fellow biotic. Kaiden Alenko?

_Approved!_

* * *

><p>His quarters, no so much.<p>

There was precious little room for him and Tali amidst the others and as such they were forced to share a single bunk. Whether this amounted to a joke on the commander's part or a quirk of fate he knew not, only that he was exceptionally sick and tired, it felt as though he hadn't slept since they came to the Citadel. That had been three days ago. As if feeding off of his stress his biotitcs began to bleed energy-unconcsious power held barely in check by a supreme effort of his will.

"Well," Tali murmrured beside him, "This is...unexpected."

"I don't mind." Naruto risked a glance at her, wary, prepared to fend of any righteous female fury. "Do you?"

"N-No...

"Yosh!" he decicded. "Then its settled!

And so without thinking, he threw himself down into the bed and for what felt like the first time, truly experienced rest. Sleep came quickly for the two of them, almost before they knew it.

And as such, the blonde resolutely ignored out the Commander's speech over the intercomm when they finally set out on their journey, ignoring her every word and syllable, morale boosting or not. Interesting though it might have been...his thoughts remained decidedly elsewhere. With himself of course. And with Jack. With this farfetched mission that he'd gotten himself roped into against his own will. And of course, with the Quarian sittling in his lap. His skin tingled from her very touch like tongues of flame burning beneath his veins. In spite of himself, he couldn't help but to wonder if she felt the same sensations beneath her suit.

He

If this Reaper business turned out to be legit, however, well...

...he wouldn't mind sticking around for awhile.

* * *

><p>Artemis Tau Cluster. Therum.<p>

The Hammerhead plummeted fromthe Normandy like a falling meteor, its many wheels rolling ceaselessly against the atmosphere, ground rushing up to gree it. Jets fired an instant before impact, softening what might well had been a fatal fall from such abominable heights. A chorus of groans rose up from all but Shepard, who, being a marine herself, was accustomed to such landings.

"Keelah," Tali groaned, "Is it just me or is the room spinning?"

Wrex seconded her opinion! "And I thought we we extreme...this is insane!

"Commander, I'm picking up some strange readings...like really strange." Joker's voice rang through the hammerhead. "Off the chart, strange. It looks like they're coming a few clicks away from the drop zone." There was a silence as the crew contemplated this, broken off by grunts of surpris as Naruto shouldered his way to the fore.

"Move over!" The blonde was grinning like a madman. "I'm driving!"

And drive he did. Poor geth...

...they never stood a chance.

* * *

><p>She hung there in the field like a blue goddess, awaiting their arrival. Ironic, when one considered she was well...blue. Despite himself, Naruto nearly felt his jaw drop. Asari truly were beautiful crreatures and Liara was no exception to her race. In fact, she was an outright testament to it, he thought. Although most of her body was hidden away by a green-gray uniform, there could be no denying her figure beneath those wrappings, it was...well, lovely didn't even begin to decribe her radiance-<p>

"Ahem!" Behind him, Tali coughed, drawing the blonde's flush. And then, impossibly, Liara chose that moment to speak.

"Can you hear me out there?" she called, her voice piquing in distress as she saw the approaching group and krogan. "I'm trapped in here! I need help!"

"Liara T'soni, I presume?" Shepard mused.

"Thank the Goddess. I didn't think anyone would come looking for me. Listen, this thing I'm in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so...I need you to get me out of it, alright? There should be a switch nearby but I don't know how you're going to get to it-

Naruto, desperate to take his eyes from the beauty before him-and equally hasty to prevent Tali's ire-risked a glance acros the cavern. Sure enogh, there were a host of such findings scattered across the cavern, but how would they be of any use unless...

...that was when he saw it, its great, rusted bulk sticking up a like a single, silent finger, flicking him off.

Naruto just grinned.

"Ohhhhh Sheps'...

"What?"

"I've got an idea...

One mining laser later aaaaaand...

_...all bloody hell broke loose._

**A/N:Well, there ya go! Naruto's still his old self, pranking Ashley with a vengeance for calling him a thug. And Jack is on the hunt! This was more of an opening chapter for the events to come, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy writing every bit of it. And on another Liara's finally popped up! And to the answer the question of anyone who might think Tali is just a weeee bit jellly of the asari, well, keep reading if you want yer answer; let me know if she ought to be included. And on a final note, Mors Proditoris means ****"Death to Traitors" in Latin.**

**So...in the immortal and immoral words of Altas...**

**...Review, Would you kindly? And naturally, enjoy the omake!**

**_(Omake!)_**

_Naruto could feel Tali's gaze boring into his back. He'd felt it for at least the last five minutes now, as though his girlfriend were trying _

_"Something wrong, Tal?"_

_The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees._

_"You were staring at her ass, weren't you?"_

_"I-I did no such thing!"_

**R&R=D**


	7. Don't Fear the Biotic

**A/N: Well, today was an interesting day, to say the least. Apparently someone has a beef with me. Yesterday,I was nearly run off the road by a dark-colored car and to top that off, I come home to find my window broken, my laptop smashed to pieces. It took me FOREVER but I finally managed to scrounge up enough scratch for a new one, not to mention reconstruct everything that I'd lost; to which I would like to thank Uzumaki Crossover for helping IMMENSELY with this chapter. Now with that little issue over, alive and well and better than ever...**

**...onto the next chapter! Many thanks to Uzumaki Crossover for helping me with this! Also a clarification, Naruto is eighteen, not sixteen. That was a typo on my part last chapter =D**

_"Ohhhhh, I am going to love this..._

_~?_

**Don't Fear the Biotic...**

_"Ohhhhh Sheps!"_

Isabelle Shepard stiffened as that voice reached her ears; it...it... _sounded_ a great deal like Naruto, but why did he, where had he-

"What?"

"I have a great idea!" Naruto replied enthusiastically .

Shepard finally turned around to see the blond from the Terminus Systems fiddling with a mining laser and...POINTING IT RIGHT AT THEIR POSITION?! "MOVE!" She ordered loudly and Tali got the hint, especially after she saw what her boyfriend was doing. It certainly helped that she knew the kind of madness he could get up to. But this...

...was insane!

"Three, two, one…FIRE!" Naruto shouted out gleefully as he pressed a button and the laser shot the platform they had been on a few seconds ago, its great laser searing through the rock like a knife through butter, nay the sheer face of the wall didn't stand a chance when faced with the penetrating beam. Within seconds it deactivated, its power cell depleted...just as it opened up a giant hole in the wall. "Well that worked out better than expected." Naruto replied with a nod of his head.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Shepard shouted once she got to Naruto's position and got right in his face.

The boy merely held up two fingers to show just a bit, making Shepard and Tali smack their faces…or in Tali's case, her helmet.

"Why did you do that?" Tali asked, little irritated.

"To get to the good doctor, why else?" Naruto asked. "So maybe I was a little hasty...it still worked and you're still alive, right?"

"I am seriously going to need a drink after this." Shepard grumbled to herself as they quickly went into the whole they made. It worked out because one elevator trip upwards later and they was right behind Liara in her captured state.

Naruto also had to force back a whistle when he saw her ass.

Liara still heard something behind her and looked to see the group from before. "How…how did you get in here? I didn't think anyone could get past the barrier."

"Oh, just a little insanity." Naruto replied innocently, making the blue woman sweat drop.

"Not to mention the mining laser." Shepard grumbled.

"I guess that make more sense." Liara commented lamely. "Please, get me out of here. You left before I could warn you about Geth being here with a Krogan! We need to leave quickly!"

"How?" Tali asked, unfamiliar with how Prothean Tech worked.

"That button over there could drop the containment field." Liara stated, pointing to said button.

Shepard pushed the button, unsure how it would work. The next moment, they saw the field disappear and Liara drop to the ground, but thankfully Naruto caught her so she didn't hurt herself.

The blue blushed a bit at the feel of his strong arms and Tali growled a little, but stayed quiet. Naruto smiled and asked, "So….any clue how to get out of this place? The way we came is not an option with the Geth wrecking it."

"There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least I think it is an elevator. It should take us out of here, come on!" Liara said

As Liara spoke, she gestured with her arms, and took a few steps toward Naruto. Her movements made her breasts bounce and sway, and once she came closer-curse these overly sensitive eyes of his he-could see the outline of against the uniform cloth that covered her breasts. Although he felt guilty for it, no matter how hard Naruto tried, he found himself utterly unable to tear his gaze away from the asari's lovely, perfectly shaped body-

"Ahem?" Tali coughed politely. "You seem distracted, Naruto."

Said blond smirked softly. He knew his hadn't been the only wandering eyes.

"Hey, you were staring too!"

"H-How did you know that?!"

The blonde's grin grew another inch.

"Extraterestial senses, babe." still he smiled, even when she swatted at him. "Its your first time seeing an asari up close so I don't blame ya."

Behind her helmet, the unmistakeable flush of pink could just be seen.

"You little bosh'tet-

He was still laughing when said asari finally led them away.

Once on the elevator they took to get to Liara, they went upwards. Liara was still having trouble believing all of this, especially when Shepard mentioned that her mother was working with Saren and the Geth. "I…I still can't believe all this. Why are the Geth coming after me? Do you think my mother is involved?"

"Saren is looking for the conduit. Please think fast miss prothean expert." Tali urged.

"The Conduit? Be I don't kno-" Liara started before the elevator shook a bit and they heard crumbling and what almost sounded like an explosion. "These ruins aren't stable! The mining laser must have triggered a seismic event!"

Both Shepard and Tali sent Naruto a hard look. "What?"

"You are reckless." Tali deadpanned while Liara pressed a button on the console to make the elevator go up faster.

Shepard sighed before she called up Joker. "Joker! Get the Normandy airborne and lock on my signal. On the double mister!"

_*Aye aye Commander. Secure and aweigh. ETA, 8 minutes*_

"This is going to be rather close." Tali replied, a little panicked.

"Oh we'll be fine." Naruto said, waving off their fears and once more he was looked at like he was insane. The truth was, Naruto had been in worse before.

However, once they reached the top of the elevator shaft, they were met with a platoon of Geth and their Krogan merc leader.

"Well, looks like we get a goodbye party."

"Heh, a goodbye to your lives if you don't give us the Asari." The Krogan stated. "But whatever you do…please fight. It will make this all the more fun."

"Ugh, even of the cave is falling in on itself, this idiot wants to fight. Charge!" Shepard ordered, even more annoyed then before.

"I call the Krogan!" Naruto shouted as he talked the reptilian alien. That left Shepard and the others to take care of the geth. Tali was still worried for Naruto since the last time he fought a Krogan, he left him in bad shape. Thankfully said Krogan was Wrex and a friend, or else he would have been dead.

When the two got back up, Naruto flared his power. Which made the Krogan's eyes widen and then smile way too dangerously. "So! I get to fight the only human that was worth a damn. The Crimson Biotic!"

"Yep!" Naruto chirped cheerfully.

"Well, you will find that I am no push over what it comes to biotics myself!" The Krogan roared as he flared his own power, showing him to be a battlemaster.

"Fun!" Naruto smirked as he sent out a push, to knock the man's shotgun away. The Krogan's smile just widened as he charged the blond with a biotically charged punch. Naruto met him with his own and the shockwave seemed to make things worse for the cave in.

However, from that one punch, Naruto could tell that this Krogan was weak in the biotics department. It would seem that the man didn't get many challenges to make it stronger, so he was rather weak, as shown by his now limp arm. This guy must usually take the weaker jobs.

"Heh, you are strong. People won't believe me when I tell them that I killed you." The Krogan goaded.

"You're right." Naruto replied in a now bored tone. This guy was weaker that his first Krogan kill. Oh well, it was just as well since the others were now done taking out the Geth. Naruto smiled and said, "Sorry, but this battle is over." He said and before the Krogan could say anything, Naruto created a large fist construct that had spikes on it and slammed the Krogan into the wall, leaving a bloody mess.

"Well, that was a disappointment." Naruto replied.

"Who cares?!" Shepard shouted as she grabbed him by the collar. It was then he noticed that tremor were getting a lot more worse. "Move! Move! Move!"

"Shit shit shit!" Naruto screamed as the cave in was following them.

Thankfully, they got out in time and jumped right onto the Normany as it passed.

XXX

_*Too close Commander. 5 more seconds and we would have been swimming in molten sulfer.*_ Joker complained over the intercom. _*The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry out sensor and melt out hull. Just for future reference.*_

"Yeah…sorry about the Joker." Naruto announced. "It is kind of my fault since I used that mining laser. But come one man, that was some awesome flying, even if your sensors were melting on ya."

There was a long silence among the group in the meeting room of the Normandy before Joker spoke over the intercom again. _*Heh, mining laser. I like this guy.*_

"It wasn't kind of your fault, it _was_ your fault, Naruto." Tali dead panned while Ashley finally recovered from what he said as he smacked her head in annoyance.

Wrex finally laughed. "Heh, kid, you always seem to go overboard with this things."

"Is this normal?" Liara asked, a little annoyed. "After all, we almost died out there and your pilot and crew are making jokes!"

"It is a coping mechanism." Shepard replied. "Besides, he saved our ass, so it is fine with me."

"Oh….alright then." Liara replied sheepishly. "I am sorry, but I don't have much experience dealing with your species. But I am grateful to you for saving my life back there. And not just the volcano. Those geth would have killed or dragged me off to Saren."

"What did Saren want with you?" Kaiden asked. "Do you know something about the Conduit."

Liara looked uncomfortable at this. She obviously did know much about it, even if she spent her life trying to learn about the ancient race of space aliens. "Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. That is my real area of expertise. I have spent the last fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them.

Shepard blinked at this. "How old are you exactly?"

"I hate to admit it but I am only a 106."

"Damn! I hope I look that good when I reach that age." Ashley half joked.

"It would be a great boon." Naruto replied with a goofy smile. _And I though Aria was young!_

"A century might seem like a long time to your species, but among my people, I am barely considered a child." Liara replied, making Naruto grimace a bit as he felt like a weird form of pedo for looking at Liara like he did. Oh well. She was still legal and he had Tali, so all was good. "That is why my research has not receive the attention it deserves. "Because of my youth, other Asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans."

Shepard seemed annoyed by that and spoke. "I have got my own theory about how the Protheans disappeared."

Liara nodded and said, "With all due respect Commander, I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them. The Protheans left remarkable little behind. It is almost like someone did not what the mystery solved. It is like someone come along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy clean."

Naruto frowned at that and Tali noticed. Of course Naruto would frown at that because that was what his own problem seemed to be. He couldn't find ANYTHING dealing with his people.

However, Liara continued, so he didn't muse on that for very long. Not like it would help much anyway. "But here is the incredible part. According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them."

"Where did you get the info?" Naruto asked quickly. It may seem farfetched, but this could be a partial answer to his question. But if that was the case…how long have his people been dead and how did he get to this time period?

Everyone wondered what Naruto's stake in this was, but they too wanted to know. Tali looked at Naruto sadly as he contemplated the truth. Her father did say that Naruto was not entirely human…but the rest of this theory made no sense. There was no such thing as true time travel…right?

Liara also wondered why Naruto was suddenly this serious about this, but ignored it to continue her explanation. "I have been working on this for fifty years. I have tracked down every scrap and shred of evidence. Eventually, subtle patterns start to emerge. Patterns that hint at the truth. It is difficult to explain to someone else. I cannot point to one specific thing to prove my case. It is more a feeling derived from a half century of research." She paused and then said, "But I know I am right, and eventually, I will be able to prove it. There were other civilizations before the Protheans. This cycle has repeated itself many times over."

"Any clue as to who was first if not the Protheans." Naruto asked while Shepard nodded to the question.

"I don't know. There is barely any evidence on the Protheans, even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory, but I know I am right! The Galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up, it is violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before." Liara seemed to smile at the next part. "Their greatest achievements – the mass relays and the Citadel – are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why."

Shepard nodded and then dropped her own bombshell. "They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers."

Liara looked at her strangely. "The…the Reapers? But I have never heard of – How do you know this? What evidence do you have?"

"There was a damaged Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. It burned a vision into my brain. I am still trying to figure out what it all means." Shepard replied with a tired sigh.

"Visions? Yes… that makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare." Liara explained. "That would explain why the Geth would attack Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon. Even a badly damaged one, is worth almost any risk. However, these machines were only designed work with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed that you were able to make sense of it at all. A less mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkable strong willed, Commander."

"This isn't helping us find Saren or the conduit." Kaiden said, getting really annoyed by this long conversation.

Liara nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Of course, you are right, I am sorry. My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I don't have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren."

"I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture, but I know we would be a lot better off if we brought you along. Will you join us?" Shepard asked.

Liara smiled. "Thank you commander. Saren might come after me again and I cannot think of a safer place than you ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on."

"Yeah and with her biotics with Naruto's, it will come in handy when the fighting starts." Wrex responded, smirking at the end.

"Naruto is a biotic?" Liara asked as she turned to the blond. She didn't even see his fight with the other Krogan, so she had no clue the blond was a biotic.

"Oh yeah, the kid is a better biotic than I am and his a natural one." Kaiden replied.

"And he is the Crimson Biotic." Wrex grunted.

Liara just looked at the blond in utter shock.

Shepard raised an eyebrow at this. Sure she had heard about the famed Crimson Biotic, but she was not this chocked up about it. So she decided to snap the Asari out of it. "Good to have you on the team Liara."

Liara smiled and said, "Thank you commander, I am feeling very grate….ugh. Sorry, I am finally feeling the effects of today. I am very light headed."

"When was the last time you ate….or slept?" Kaiden asked in concern. "Dr Chakwas should take a look at you."

"It is just this day has been one shock after another. I really need to process all this." Liara replied tiredly. "Still it could not hurt to get looked at. Are we finished here, Commander?"

"Yeah, we can talk again after yo have seen the doctor." Shepard replied kindly. "Naruto, can you take her down to see Dr. Chakwas?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto replied with a shrug before turning to Tali, I'll meet you back in the engine core."

"Ok." The Quarian replied, a little miffed.

With that, Naruto lead the Asari to the med bay while Shepard broke up their little meeting. As he was leading the blue skinned woman, his thoughts traveled back to his home and the people he left behind and then to how he even disappeared from them. Liara's new information on past civilizations scared him. Was he the last of his kind or were they hidden somewhere and still alive? It was eating him up!

Then there were the Quarians. They were like the family he never actually had in Konoha. If he found his old home, would he have to choose between them? God he hoped not. Still, it could hurt to ask Liara what she actually knew about past civilizations and if she could look at his memories to figure something out. That was….after she got checked out my the doc that is.

However, like usual lately, his thoughts drifted to another person. Jack. Was she ok? He hoped so...

* * *

><p>How the fuck did she end up in this mess? Oh that's right, she got a lead on her long lost friend and possible love interest….not that she would EVER admit that, so she had to find a way to get to him.<p>

However, she was a known criminal who at one point had joined a cult…which was extremely boring to her. But she kept the hair cut because she liked it. It made her look badass. Anyway, she had done some extremely bad things and that made her a wanted woman and not the good wanted where all the guys wanted to fuck you, no it was the wanted where all the cops and bounty hunter were after your head.

Not fun.

Ok a little fun. After all, she loved to fight!

However, right now she was trying to get to Naruto so she could beat him to a bloody pulp for leaving her in that damnable pod!

So she snuck aboard a ship and slept in a small cargo hold to pass the time. But like usual, things had to be far harder than they had to be. This was no ordinary ship, oh no, this was a ship full of bounty hunters….with some of them ironically being Hanar.

Creepy bastards they were. Polite to an irritating level, but damn they were handy with their tentacles. Ugh…why do they give her the creeps so much? Probably because of that weird hentai site she went to. God the Japanese are weird! But then again, so is she for watching the whole vid.

ANYWAY! She would probably have to fight them, but that was only part of the problem. The ship had docked at a freaking Hanar space station orbiting one of their moons.

Just her fucking luck!

Oh and to make matters worse, she heard that a famous bounty hunter named Zaeed was there as well. COME ON! As if her luck wasn't bad enough, she had to deal with that pyscopath? Of all people? Was the galaxy _trying _to piss her off? Why can't she catch a break today?! And speaking of crazy men, here he fucking came….damnit! She'd barely finished this thought when a hand reached down into her hiding place, wrenched her up and out of the duct, knocking her to the ground.

Jack found herself face to face with a scarred visage, one eye mily white and scarred with death. A single sentence issued forth from this grizzled old hunter:

_"Who tha' godamn hell are you?"_

**A/N: And there you have it! Naruto's beginning to wonder what he might think of Liara and even Tali was caught staring! I guess seeing such a young, lovely asari up close and personal is a bit of a first for them, no? Anywho**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think!**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? **

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	8. Karma

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm fresh out of my ANOTHER surgery-hurts like hell!-and I managed to put this up here at points between the forced anesthetic. Bad news is I still have more surgeries ahead. Still, I'm feeling a bit better now. Really. ****I'm hanging tough though, having just come out of my first surgery...with two more to go! UUUUUGH! I'm on painkillers almost daily and I feel like crap, as to that effect.** **And with that...**

**...onto the next chapter! Many thanks to Uzumaki Crossover for helping me with this! Also a clarification, Naruto and Tali are eighteen, _not_ sixteen. That was a typo on my part last chapter =D**

_"If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time — a tremendous whack."_

~_Winston Churchill._

**Karma**

"Yo!"

Garrus Vakarian frowned, mandibles twitching as a distant, albeit familiar greeting reached his ears. Or what passed for ears on a turian. He'd never really been one for the study of anatomy. Intrigued, the turian poked his head out of the truck's innards just long enough to realize that someone was speaking to him. At first he thought it was Shepard. But when the voice spoke again, it had a masculine quality to it that the Commander distinctly lacked. Not that she wasn't authoritive in his eyes, he'd seen her take charge in a firefight before, but whoever this someone was, they sounded a great deal more...relaxed than the Alliance commander would ever allow herself to be.

"Workin' on the Mako, eh?"

To his credit, it only took him a second to realize that someone was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. Even less to discover the boy was somewheres above him, hanging off the main barrel of the turret much like a monkey would a tree; pulling himself up, only to lower himself down again a few seconds later. Ordinarly, that wouldn't have impressed Vakarian. What impressed him was the fact that the Phantom of the Terminus systerms was using the barrel to do _chinups _almost effortlessly. One-handed. With his armor on. Spirits, the strength it took for him to do that must've been a true marvel...and the boy barely looked as though he'd broken a sweat at all.

Were all humans so strange he wondered? Or was it just this one?

"Hello...?" he managed, slightly baffled as to how the blond had gotten up there without him noticing. Or Wrex. Or Ashley for that matter. He'd been down here for nearly an hour now, and spirits take him if he hadn't heard the elevator come down the shaft. Sneaky little bastard.

"You wanna get down from there? Can't have you breaking anything."

"Puh-lease." Naruto snorted, swinging himself up onto the turret once more knees bent double into his chest. "As if I would break something so _awesome_! This thing's built like a tank! Ya should've seen how many geth I flattened back on Therum with it." His benign grin began to grow as he continued to speak, gesturing more and more wildly to emphasi and indicate the slaughter of the many artificial intelligences. "I tell you, it was a bloody massacre. Even backed up over an armature, too. Had to make sure the godamned _bosh'tet_ was really dead."

"So _you're_ responsible for all these dents?" the turian's deadpann was barely concealed.

Naruto blanched, his fire fading in the wake of that steely blue stare.

"Just how many are we talking about...?"

"Over a dozen. And still counting!"

_"Hey,_ it was an accident." despite his glee at having slaughtered so many synthetics, the boy at least had the wherewithall to appear apologetic for his destructive deeds regarding the mako. "Cut me some slack! It was my first time driving, and we only crashed _once._ There's nothing wrong with that! Just ask Ash!"

"That so, Williams?"

Halfway across the hold, a very unladylike snort graced their ears.

"Yeah, he tried to drive through a wall. Didn't work out so well. He's got the scar to prove it."

Naruto choked and instinctively moved to cover the small divet in his chin with a hand, almost falling off the turret in the proccess before catching himself. When he finally spoke, it sounded almost petulant.

"We agreed never to speak of that!"

"That was _before_ the mining laser."

"What about _after_ the ambush?" Naruto challenged, his witty reply garnering a sigh from the marine. "I seem to recall you getting knocked on your ass by a geth leaper back on Therum?" His veiled insult cut straight to the bone, three deck up, half the crew felt/sensed the sudden spike of killer intent resonating from the human woman.

"Alright, smartass...

"Oi oi, there's no need to come over here!"

Garrus felt the beginning's of a twitch in his mandibles as the Gunnery Chief swiftly reassembled her rifle and moved to join their little discussion, much to Naruto's trepidation. So there _was_ someone he feared after all, it seemed. The poor human looked positively cornered up there on the turret, clinging to it white-knuckled as though he suddenly feared she'd tear him a new one, should he come down. How...ironic. It seemed human females could be downright intimidating in their own way, he mused. _Good to know._

"What?" she asked, a tad too sweetly. "I just want to apologize." Naruto wasn't fooled. He only clenched the turret tighter. Was that genuine fear in those sapphire orbs? Garrus thought so.

"Y-You stay right there!" the young man hissed, arching his back like a cornered cat, artifical arm bristling menacingly. "I remember what you did last time!"

Garrus cocked his head at the chief.

"Last time...?"

"Lets just say I know a thing or two about payback." A wan smile danced at the corners of Ashley's mouth. "It comes from being a big sister."

Naruto made another hissing sound.

"One of these days Ash, I'm gonna prank the hell out of you so bad you _won't_ be able to retalitate." A light shone in his eyes just then-a glimmer of amusement breaking through the fear he felt at righteous female fury facing forward. "Come to think of it, don't you have a scar on your-

Ashley's hand flew to her rifle.

"Ohhhh, you are _so_ dead!"

Naruto casually activated his weapons arm, targeting her stomach in the same instant she lined up a shot at his face. Garrus glanced between the two, suddenly uncertain if he should intervene. Human customs always confused him; were they joking, or did they genuinely intend to shoot one another? He couldn't be sure.

A deep, throaty laugh boomed across the cargo hold; alleviating the tense standoff. "Ah, cut the kid some slack, Williams. He's been shot at enough for one day."

"Ya think?" Ash replied, lowering her weapon. Seconds later Naruto did the same, baffling Garrus entirely.

"Hey, is all this foreplay a thing with you humans? Because I think-

In hindsight, perhaps that wasn't the best choice of words. Both humans colored and shouted at him.

"Foreplay?!"

"Well if the two of you want to go at it, be my guest."

Whatever witty reply had been forming in the back of Garrus' brain vanished as Urdnot Wrex soldiered his way over to them. Now, Garrus was no slouch; he'd seen many a krogan in his day but the battlemaster was by far and away the most fearsome. Not to mention the largest. Naruto didn't seem at all concerned with having a potentially murderous krogan standing behind him; if anything he seemed heartened by it. Garrus on the other hand, was entirely uncertain. He hadn't yet had a chance to work with the hulking brute to a large extent, but from what he had seen and what Shepard had already told him-the alien was a force of nature made flesh. Not someone you wanted to get on their bad side.

"What're you pyjacks up to?" this addressed to Naruto.

"Just comparing old war wounds." The blond muttered with a pointed look, swinging to and fro from his perch. He threw out one piece of verbal bait, looking to see if the turian would bite. As far as he knew Turians had absoliutely nothing in common with humans except two of three things. The first was the desire for order. The second; pride. And the third; deep, _deep_ down they loved a good fight just as much as the next guy. It was to these weaknessess that Naruto played, and he played to win with the one phrase that no man could withstand:

"Garrus here doesn't have any."

The ex-officer's eyes narrowed slightly. _Ha! There's the bite._

"None that you can see."

"You mean like the gigantic stick up your ass?" Naruto grinned.

Wrex whistled at that. Ashely burst into hysterics before the turian could get a worde in edgewise. Garrus shot her a scathing look.

"What?" she blinked. "I thought it was funny."

_"Riiiiight..._

Wrex laughd again, the throaty sound of his mirth filling the hold.

"I don't know why you princesses are getting so worked up about your scars showing anyway," the krogan said. He spread his arms wide. "They should be worn like a badge of honor." His three fingered hand moved to trace a jagged line down his face, indicating his own injury. "See this? My old man gave it to me. Right before I buried my blade in his chest."

"Easy for you to say, big guy." Naruto groused, shuddering at the idea of such a wound. _"You_ can regenerate! I can't! At least, not to the extent that you do...

"Is that so?" Ashley adopted a look of feigned innocence. "You mean I can kick his ass, let him heal, and do it again?"

"That's assuming ya can catch me, sis." Naruto returned with a ghastly grin, reminding everyone in the room just who he really was. "Phantom of the Terminus Systems? The man who destroyed an entire space station by himself? Crashed it into one of the Kahje's moons? Ring any bells? I'd beat you with one arm tied behind my back, and that's if I'm feeling_ lazy."_

Ashley took the hint and shrugged it off; water down a duck's back. It wasn't arrogance that fueled her confidence, rather, a genuine desire to see what the young man was capable of. _It must be something,_ she mused quietly, if he's that cocky. But seriously? _Destroying a space station?_ Who does that?!

"Is that a challenge? I _love_ a challenge."

That earned her a glower.

"Oh, is that so _baka onna-_

The blonde's diatribe dissolved into a string of Japanese syllables that left his fellow human's translator scrambling to keep up and her cheeks a robust pink_-no mean feat for the marine-_and two aliens in the dark. When at last he ceased, a slight pall fell over their unlikely quartet. Wrex wore a perverse grin, Ash looked like she'd swallowed a varren. Naruto appeared to have swallowed a "canary" as the human saying went leaving poor Garrus utterly at a loss.

At last he gave voice to his confusion, mandibles twitching into the human fascimile of a frown. "The hell did he just say?"

"Believe me Vakarian, you do _not _want to know."

"Hell, with that body of his, I'm convinced the kid's half-krogan." Wrex said. "And that's not even possible!"

_"Oi!"_

"What?" the mighty reptile rumbled. "Its the truth."

Garrus wasn't quite sure how he felt about that; the possibility of Naruto being even _more _dangerous than he'd originally anticipated left him ill at ease, to say the least. The boy already had a geth-shifting weapon arm where his right should've been and he _was_ a powerful biotic in his own right, but the prospect of him having even more tricks up his none-existent sleeves was not a pleasant one.

"Wait wait wait." Ash piped up, her hazel eyes shining with sudden interest. "So whiskers here can up and heal like you?"

"Nothing major like a hand, but yeah." came the reply.

"So if I kick hiss ass, he'll just regenerate."

"Bah!" Naruto stuck out his tongue. "You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag, Williams!"

"If you say so..." she risked a glance back at the enigmatic boy, still grinning mirthfully. Garrus simply shrugged.

"You gonna get down from there, kid?"

"Yup, I was done exercising anyway."

As he looked on the Phantom vaulted off the barrel and landed in a crouch beside him, biotics flaring to cushion his landing. Ah. Now it made sense. Naruto's legendary title didn't just refer to his bloody battles, or the cold ruthlessness with which he dispatched his foes, or even the color of his eyes when he manipulated dark energy. His biotics were quite literally, crimson. The Crimson Biotic indeed. An oddity to be sure, given most biotics, were a blue-black, not the chaotic reddish-white that surrounded the blond just now. Crimson, hah! The thought almost elicited a dry chuckle from Garrus. Almost. But then he remembered how effortlessly the boy had lifted Kaiden off the ground, and he hesitated. If he could do that without even lifting a finger...

"Say, weren't you with T'soni a few minutes ago?" he asked, frowning. "How did you get down here without us noticing?"

"I was," Naruto smiled mysteriously. "And now I'm here. Still got a few tricks from my Ninja days."

"The hell's a ninja? Some kind of human delicacy?"

It was like flicking a switch; for a second boy's expression faltered. Naruto wanted to smile, the dry, sardonic manner in which the turian said pretty much everything made it all the more amusing. But the pain his head aborted that roguish grin before it could ever be born. As if he wasn't worried enough already. It still hurt to know he was the last of his people, not really even a shinobi at all anymore thanks to Cerberus. He could still use his techniques to an extent, but...it _hurt_ realizing the age of the ninja would most likely die with him.

"Didn't they wield swords and wear armor, or something?" Ashley asked.

"No no, those are Samurai." his smile returned en masse, leaving Garrus to wonder if he'd just imagined it. "Shinobi are much better!"

"How so?" this from Wrex; the grizzled old krogan jumping at the chance to learn more about the blonde's race.

"Well for starter's we're...um, badass!"

"Badass." Ashley's deadpann was barely concealed.

"Hey, I'd show you if I could! Not my fault if I didn't have a chance back on Therum!"

"So... a mining laser, huh?" Unaware of the brief slip, the former cop chortled at the mention of the mission. "Wish I could've been there. I would've loved to see the look on their faces." This time, Naruto didn't have to force a smile to his face. He'd seen Shepard's expression firsthand; priceless didn't even begin to describe it.

"What can I say, I'm a people person."

"People person my ass! He almost brought the mine down on our heads!"

Wrex laughed. "It was glorious!"

"Hey, we survived, didn't we? Besides-

Ashley's smoldering glare silenced his diatribe before it could even begin.

Silence hung between the quartet after that; neither could think of anything more to say.a long moment, and Naruto was just about to wander away back to engineering when Garrus' flanged voice rang out. "So, you're a sniper, eh?" He reached up and behind his back, the mantis rifle unfolding into his taloned hands. "Care for some target practice?"

In a heartbeat the blond had his own rifle out, the Black Widow extending to its full, devastating length in hand.

"Oh, somebody's cocky. You in on this Williams?"

"No thanks." the Gunnery Chief waved their invitation away. "I know better than to get involved in a dick-fighting competition."

"Trust me, this won't be much of a contest."

Naruto raised his weapon in response. A warrior's salute, a challenge: _Bring it_.

"Twenty creds says Uzumaki gets within a centimeter of the first shot." Wrex rumbled.

"What? No way." Ashley snapped back, but there was a light of interest in her hazel eyes. "Nobody's that good. Fifty says he misses by an inch."

"You're on."

Together they erected up a crude target at the other end of the hangar, a thick piece of durasteel painted with a red bullseye, and took their positions. Garrus was the first to take the shot; inhale-exhale-sight down the target and squeeze the trigger. The hangar bay sizzled with the sudden discharge of weapons fire, his shot striking the target with an eclcectric crack. Beat that, he mused to himself Naruto didn't even wait for the reply or give one of his own; even as the turian rose from his crouch he took his position, dropping to a kneeon the mat.

BANG!

His rifle bucked from the shot, its stock kicking back against his armor with all the force of a mule. Naruto didn't even flinch. His expression said it all.

The turian made a humming noise that seemed to be equivalent of a human's whistle. "Damn. That's not even a centimeter off my first shot. Not bad for some punk kid out of Omega. See if you can do it again or if that was just luck."

"Ha!" Wrex chortled, reptillian orbs narrow with glee. "Time to pay up, human."

Grumbling, Ashley fished a hand into her belt and forked over his winnings before stalking away, muttering hoarsely beneath her breath. "Damned swindler...

Naruto flashed a predatory grin at her retreating form before returning his attention the turian.

"Wanna see if I can do better, Garrus?"

"There's no way."

"How much you willing to bet?"

Garrus folded both arms before his armored plating. "A weeks worth of incendiary rounds."

"I'll take that bet!" Wrex pounced on the opportunity to make more money. "A belt of grenades says he blows right through the target _and_ the plate behind it."

"Wrex, that's a Widow he's got there, not a damned peashooter. No deal."

"What's the matter, turian? Scared?"

Garrus grimaced. Why did he have the feeling he was being deceived here? But if there was one thing his superiors had taught him, it was to never back down. Even in the face of overwhelming odds such as this. There was no way Naruto could make the shot, he told himself. Besides, the kid's arm had to be aching after firing the Widow just once...

"Fine." he growled. "I'll be happy to take those grenades off your hands."

Wrex's grin was nothing short of menacing.

"We'll just see about that, Vakarian."

"Um, guys?" Naruto piped up from his crouch, his tone flecking with annoyance, his visage expressionless beyond the opaque visor. "Can I take the shot now or what?"

The turian's mandibles started to twitch, feeling that he knew what was coming next. As he closed his eyes, he heard the Naruto grumbling to himself and sure enough, the booming crack of the Widow reverberated the hangar with a thunderous clap. Time seemed to unfold in slow motion, the powerful round ripping through the target before plowing onward and obliterating the plate behind it. There was a silence as Naruto raised both his head and the half-helm, allowing himself a good long look at the perfect shot.

"Gotcha." he grinned.

Garrus hissed in defeat. "Spirits...

"Haha!" Wrex roared in triumph, his red eyes showing nothing but sweet, sweet satisfaction. "Pay up!"

But before the turian could fork over his incendiary rounds, the loudspeaker blared, demanding their attent

The two looked at themselves for a moment, trying to put together the pieces of information the other had just provided. There was only one real answer, as Garrus snapped his talons upon putting the puzzle together Naruto's raised eyebrows showing the same solution. In unison, they blurted out the answer.

"Shepard."

"Naruto," As if on cue, the Commander's voice came over the intercom. "Liara, I need you prepped; were about to hit Feros. You too, Wrex."

Said blond rose, rubbing his now aching shoulder. Garrus had been right, the recoil on a Black Widow was a bitch to deal with. And he'd been wearing armor!

"Bout damn time." the krogan rumbled, brushing past him with a grin. "All this target practice makes me want to shoot something. Looks like she's going for a full biotic squad this time." That thought rallied the smirk to do its best to retake his face from the pained expression that currently held it, but both gave way to surprise and momentary fear when a sharp voice interrupted his musings.

"Stubborn blond_ bosh'tet_! I cannot believe you! Blowing holes in the ship like that!"

He blinked, realizing his vision was a little blurry, and saw the familiar form of a slim quarian standing before him with her hands on her hips as if she had been summoned by his thoughts. The deep, translucent colors of her visor smudged with traces grease and other indications of her trade told him Adams had been helping her acquaint herself with the Normandy. Good. Ships were more her thing, anyway. He loved to tinker but a ship like this-the majesty of her inner workings-was utterly lost on him.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to blow holes in the ship." he chuckled. "That was Garrus."

"You're kidding."

"No no, I shit you not." he chuckled, mimicking a certain mercenary. It was his idea in the first place."

"And now Shepard's taking you to Feros."

"Yup."

"Where Geth have been sighted."

Naruto shrugged. "Hey there's nothing to worry about. I've got Wrex with me." his eyes widened a touch suddenly. "Unless you're jealous of Liara?"

"I- what? No! I mean... no, I didn't mean to say you shouldn't go. I was just thinking and..." Tali sighed in exasperation, still tripping over her own words. "Keelah, how do you do this to me? Go ahead. Go. Shoo. Blow up a few geth for me." A broad grin split Naruto's face and she suddenly found herself embraced, grabbing his shoulders to support herself when she was set back down on her feet, finally getting a kiss on top of her visor for good measure.

"Love you too, Tali," he said, giving her a final hug.

* * *

><p>"Nervous?"<p>

Liara started in surprise,her pale cheeks flushing a visible violet as Naruto's voice breathed in her ear. He looked completely resplendent in his crimson-onyx armor standing beside Wrex-armed to the teeth with nearly every weapon imaginable. Every bit the confident biotic, a confidence she had sorely lacked throughout her life. Perhaps that was what drew her to the young human; she was but a moth, captivated by fire in his eyes whenever he spoke, helpless to do anything but listen. Perhaps she wanted a bit of that confidence, that charisma, to rub off on her.

"I...yes."

Whatever the case, she found herself nodding as they prepared to disembark; wondering just how he could be so calm, especially with the four of them cramped close together within the airlock. Naruto's elbow rubbed unintentionally up against her when he shrugged, eliciting yet another bout of flushing and sputtering on her part. Ahead of them, Shepard smothered a small chuckle. The commander was hard to get a read on as well or so Liara thought; she was a powerful biotic in her own right, but there was a certain...aloofness to her at times that made her seem distant to her crew. Naruto was different.

There was a...warmness about him, an _openness_ that made you want to spill your life story to him. During her brief conversations with him she'd already learned much; despite his bloody reputation in the Terminus he was ready and willing to speak to you whenever you asked. She believed he was involved with Tali, the quarian's body language indicated as much, but despite that, the asari still felt herself sucked in whenever she lay eyes on him. Goddess, she should not feel like this, and yet...and yet...

"Earth to T'soni?" Liara started for a second time as Naruto waved a hand before her visage.

"I apologize. I am not accustomed to prolonged combat." she admitted weakly, touching a hand to her pistol. "But I suppose I need to learn...

"You'll see soon enough, princess." Wrex rumbled. Geth make for good target practice."

"Oi oi," Naruto returned, "That's no way to talk to a lady. Its probably just jitters, is all.

"Just stay behind me." he soothed. "My shields can take a beating, so don't try to be a hero."

"A-Alright."

"Ready, ladies?" Shepard barked.

_"Hey,_ Wrex and I are not-" Naruto found himself cut off as the doors whooshed open, exposing them to the planet's dry atmosphere. Immediately, he was on edge.

"Can I say for the record, that I think this is a...

* * *

><p><em>"Godamn bad idea!"<em>

Naruto spat and swore virulently as he vaulted over a table, rolled between a Prime's legs, and bounded under cover, all the while his visage a rictus of searing, white-hot fury. Feros, she said. Harmless, she said! What a bunch of bullshit! Geth had opened up on them the instant they'd set down, then they were running errands for the leader of the colony, Fai Dan, _then _Shepard had the bright idea to take the Mako out to the tower in order to remove the Geth and their jamming. It had seemed so simple at the time. Sadly, they'd neglected to account for the sheer number of enemies. It had been one thing to simply flatten them with the Mako's bulk and superior shields, but on foot?

That was another story altogether.

A spray of white hot projectiles chewed after him, devouring the ground for yards in either direction, deflected only by the stubborn walls of his barrier; mere millimeters away from ripping through his shield and tearing through Liara's thinner protections behind him. He could see her cover crumbling, shields buckling with each stray shot that slammed into her slender body. Grunting, the blond thrust his aritifical arm outward, shearing through the nearest geth in a trail of white hot plasma.

Ka-ching!

That was the sound of his own shields buckling, and the blond made haste into cover with the others.

"Got a better idea, Shepard?!"

She gritted his teeth and returned the favor. "What do you think would happen if you hit that wall with a warp?"

The blonde's brows lifted. "Something bad."

"Do it. I'll provide a distraction, but you're only going to have one shot."

"I'll only need one," he replied grimly.

The two exchanged fire once more and when the Prime pulled away slightly she flung a grenade. As she did Naruto reached out with a subtle nudge of bitoics, giving the flying projectile _juuuust _enough torque to send it skittering across the stone at the Prime's feat. The massive synthetic made as if to step away, but when no explosion was immediately forthcoming, it faltered. Its massive head swung this and that-momentarily baffled by the prescence of the seemingly inert grenade, unaware of Liara popping out of cover to fire a well-placed shot-

_Boom._

Everything flared a brilliant cherry red as the "dud" exploded, peppering the sinister synthetics with white hot shrapnel and flaming debris. At that very instant-tumbling end over end-three more grenades exploded just over their heads, blowing their heads away like paper in a typhoon.

Which is exactly what it sounded like, the wind howling around them.

She could she the Geth's head tilt in confusion then surprise as they struggled to auto-correct, a string of unintelligible gibberish trying to pull away but not reacting quickly enough. A bundle of dark energy lashed out from Naruto's fingertips and into the bulkhead, metal crumpling like it was being crushed by a great fist. A split second later he yanked down and a faint pop was heard. Smoke and sparks began to pour from the vents as the blond forcibly ripped the wall from its fastening and abruptly dropped into a barely controlled dive to the right.

The savage urge burned white-hot inside of him, and he let it free.

"Two down, assholes."

That was when his Ominitool shrieked to life.

* * *

><p>Zaeed Massani was having a godamn good day.<p>

It had started when he'd picked up this job; signed up at the last mintue to take down some Cerberus fuckers of some sort. But instead, they'd found a stowaway

Now, three mercs-his allies mere milliseconds before-lay dead at his feet, and he found himself staring at a wild looking girl with crazy tattoos and smooth auburn hair, her head completely covered in the messy brown locks, writhing as though they were alive now with angry biotics. He'd pulled her out of a vent mere moments before-but instead of shooting her as his compatriots had demanded, he'd shot them instead. Subject Zero, they said. Just a godamned girl, he'd said. Which brought

_"Who tha' godamn hell are you?"_

"...Jack."

"And how da' hell do you know the kid?"

Jack rocked back on her heels, simulatenously torn; both between answering the man's question and sending him sprawling with a shockwave. She'd tossed out Naruto's name in desperation, hoping to buy a second or two to better defend herself, praying that his bloody reputation, and her implied affiliation would slow them long enough to escape from scar-face over there, and his goons. Now, the latter regarded her with something akin to amusement and annoyance all wrapped up in one scowling package. As she looked on, a tiny smile broke out on his chiseled face, like a crack etching along a stone surface.

"Wait, you're that girl!" he laughed, a hearty har-har that put the biotic instantly on edge. "The one he keeps blabbin' about. Jackie!"

Jack glowered.

"What's it to you, dumbass?"

"Shit, he helped me take down Vido! Godamned bastard. Said something about betrayal deserving death. If yer with him then that makes you alright in my book. You wanna talk? Kid left me his omnitool number just in case." He touched a hand to his wrist, summoning forth the holographic interface. "The hell?" his scarred face knotted in calculating confusion as he tapped in a command. "What's the kid doin' on Feros? Nevermind got 'em, better make it quick."

"Wha?"

Just like that, the channel opened, cutting off any blustering attempt at denial. Static squealed through the link, broken by intermittent gunfire and the distinct hum of biotics. Jack felt her heart lurch into her throat. He was in trouble. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing

_"Not a good time, Massani."_

"Got a girl here who says she knows you." the mercenary grunted.

_"It better not be Liselle."_

"Listen for yerself." Zaeed harrumphed, thrusting his arm at Jack. Subject Zero hesitated all of an instant before speaking.

"Dumbass?"

_"The hell is this?!"_

Swearing softly, she tried again.

"N-Naruto?"

There was a silence, broken by the peppering sounds of gunfire.

And then.

And_ then._

_"Jack?"_

With that word alone, her carefully constructed world fell apart.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there we have it! Jack and Naruto are dangerously close to meeting up, but will it actually happen?! WHO KNOWS?! Anything may happen! I enjoyed writing this chapter to be honest-the words just flowed and it was easy to keep everyone in character. A little bit of camraderie between the crew just before they leap back into the fray, and we get to see that Naruto and Wrex are all but swindler's when it comes to things like gambling. One of my favorite scenes, tbh. **

**But ultimately, this fic is about to take a hard turn into the unknown, and not everyone will be making it back from this little joyride...**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one with blood sweat and tears, so I hope to hear what you think! Pairing is up in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out.**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

_"Have you ever faced an Asari Commando Unit before?" Benezia asked gravely. "Few humans have."_

_Naruto's only response was a physical one. The air crackled with chakra, not just his own, but that of his former tenant, an eerie mixture of scarlet and onyx. a threat, Shepard knew at once, Naruto wrapped in tendrils that ebbed and pulse dangerously. They looked like snakes, writhing and ready to strike. Shepard winced, lifting her hands in defeat, letting him walk away._

_"She's mine," he hissed._

_Another blow, and then his hand was around her throat, crushingly tight, the tips of his fingers digging into the sensitive folds at the back of her neck, lifting her clean off her feet. She froze, breath caught in her chest, not daring to move lest he do more damage there. Her wide eyes locked onto his wild blue ones._

_"BENEZIA!"_

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	9. The Beast Returns

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm fresh out of my ANOTHER surgery-hurts like hell!-and I managed to put this up here at points between the forced anesthetic. Bad news is I still have more surgeries ahead. Still, I'm feeling a bit better now. Really. ****I'm hanging tough though, having just come out of my first surgery...with two more to go! UUUUUGH! I'm on painkillers almost daily and I feel like crap, as to that effect.** **And with that...**

**...onto the next chapter! Uzumaki Crossver was supposed to help me with this, but sadly, he lost the data he was working on, so here it is anyway at my hands. Anyhow...**

**...here we go!**

_"Destruction is but a choice..._

~_?_

**The Beast Returns**

A deafening explosion shook the Normandy to her very bones.

Shouts of anger and exertion could be heard deep within the cargo bay. The scene was one of chaos; the Mako lay battered and overturned, its wheels rolling haphazardly, hull sparking from the impact that had tossed it onto its back. As if to echoe that very thought, another boom rattled the ship. One might wonder what could possibly cause such unmitigated destruction, what-or who-possessed such earth-shattering power as to be capable knocking something as large as the mighty six-wheeled tank on its ass.

Currently, that something was struggling in the iron grip of a krogan.

"Hold him down!" Shepard shouted, her voice piquing in the cramped confines of the hold. "Wrex! Kaidan! I said _hold_ _him_ before he tears out another bulkhead!"

"Easy for you to say, Shep!" The Krogan bit off a snarl as a helemted head slammed into his crest with all the force of a powered piston. Even with Alenko aiding him both krogan and human were still struggling to hold the writhing biotic in their grasp. It wasn't just a matter of strength; the sheer tenacity of their hostage proved almost impossible to fight.

"Damnit kid... why do you have to hit so hard?!" The only response came in the form of a ferocious snarl; accompanied by yet another brutal blow, this one shooting painfully into the ribs of Kaidan Alenko opposite him. The L2 biotic groaned against the unexpected strike but did not release the Phantom of the Terminus Systems. Under any other circumstances, Naruto would've lauded such durability, praised the man's resistance to an otherwise debilitating blow, one that had already tossed poor Liara clear across the hold. Now he simply hissed.

"I'd stop hitting if you stopped crushing me!"

Almost immediately Wrex intensified his grip.

"Godamnit, hold still!"

"You don't understand! Its Jack!" the blond raved. "She's like family to me! I have to save her! I have to! You need to let me go! Now!"

"You know we can't." Garrus called from across the hold, rubbing his fractured mandible from where the blond had flung him only moments ago. "We do that, and you run off to the Terminus on some wild goose chase for a girl we don't even know! Spirits, you don't even know where they took her!"

"I know more than you think! Now _let go!"_

"No!"

"We can't go into the Terminus Systems! It could be another one of Saren's traps! Hell, it probably is!" Shepard was suddenly there, here bright eyes boring into his. "This is exactly what he would want you to do. And you're just going to waltz right into it, guns blazing." Naruto slumped at her words; because they were the truth. He was perfectly willing to go running back to the Terminus Systems - _anything_ if it meant freeing Jack from the claws of the Blue Suns or Saren or whoever had taken her.

_"She's right."_

Naruto jerked around to find himself face-to-helmet with Tali, his furious reflection staring at out him from her purple visor. He didn't need to see her face to know of the mournful expression inside. She'd always been a gentle soul amongst her people, one prone to empathy. She could see-knew-that he was hurting. And yet for his own sake... she was asking him to stop. He knew she was a part of his life too, an important piece of the precarious puzzle that had so defined his life ever since he'd found himself in this universe. He...cared about her. Hell, he loved her.

"If you do this, you're going to get yourself killed. Just...just stay here. For me."

A three-fingered hand rose to cup his whiskered cheek.

"Please?"

For a moment, there was silence. Just a moment. A sliver in time. And then:

Blue eyes narrowed. Softened. Maybe she was right. What did he owe Jack? She was a spectre from his past, one he hadn't seen in years. It wasn't as though...no!

The sudden realization that he was even _considering_ abandoning Jack brought a wave of rage to his mind with the ferocity of a great and dark tempest. Despite Wrex's mercy towards him, Shepard's glower, Tali looking in his eyes, pleading for him to stop, the anger won over Uzumaki Naruto and he yanked his head out of the Quarian's gentle grip. A spark of red traveled from his face and into her gloved hand, causing the girl to start slightly in shock and pain as the touch of biotic energy opened a hairline fracture in her suit. The seals clamped down almost immediately, but the pain was still there. So was the injury.

"Ow!" she yelped! "That really hurt, you blond bosh'tet!" That touch of red energy shot through the tiny cut created in the palm of her hand, racing into her bloodstream like greased lightning. A hot rush came over her, her entire body trembling. What had just happened? He gawped at her for a moment and she at him; neither knowing what to make of this. He could see that her eyes were still wide behind the helmet, pained with the realization that he'd actually _hurt _her. Naruto realized it, too.

"Tali, I...

"Go." she stepped backward, quivering. "If she's that important to you...just go."

"Its not like that!"

She turned and ran, her lithe form darting back into the engine room.

Anger overtook him.

"Godamnit! Lemme go!"

Naruto roared aloud, furiously fighting the hands holding him back-but to no avail. They wouldn't bugde. Ordinarily this wouldn't have been much of a problem. He was usually an affable young man even at the worst of times, one not prone to emotional fits, cool under pressure during even the worst of circumstances. However, he wasn't in the right mind at present. Because Jack had finally contacted him. He, knew where _she_ was. Or rather, where she'd been during their conversation on Feros. Where she was now-he hadn't the faintest idea. Purgatory, maybe? She probably had one hell of a bounty on her head. But none of that mattered so long as th crew of the Normandy was holding him down!

It was strange, really. How had it come to this?

Only hours ago he had heard her voice for the first time in years. Even with the grainy quality of distance filtered by his Omnitool, he'd known her voice immediately. It had been a strange, awkward conversation under fire, only growing stranger as they waded into Geth, and then the controlled colonists That had been...unpleasant. Not the conversation, just the knowledge that Exogeni would go so far as to actively experiment on the men and women of Zhu's Hope just to collect new data on the Thorian.

Just thinking of that overgrown weed made Naruto shudder. Killing it had been a pleasure, though his heart ached that they hadn't been able to save all the colonists. At the very least, he'd managed to prevent that Fai Dan felllow from shooting himself. Afterwards he'd radioed Jack the coordinates of the Normandy. One mass relay jump from the Terminus systems and she'd be safe and sound-

Then everything had gone straight to hell.

Just when he'd thought everything was going to be as it ought to be...then...came the attack. He'd still been connected to Jack and Zaeed when the Blue Suns hit whatever vessel the were on. their prescence only made known to him by the string of invectives she and Zaeed had sworn. Then the link went dead, leaving him standing in the cargo bay with cold sweat slicking down his face. Needless to say, all hell had broken loose. Now, the bodies of a dozen Alliance soldiers lay scattered about them.

Good men and women, knocked on their asses by the Crimson Biotic.

With the transmission having cut off in a blaze of gunfire at the hands of the Blue Suns, suffice it to say he was less than pleased. Furious, even. They'd had to call Kaiden and Garrus down just to restrain him. Nothing seemed to work. Not even Tali's soothing voice could calm the fire; if anything, it only stoked the flames higher. He'd hurt her. Hurt her.

"LET! ME! GO!"

Crimson tethers of mass effect fields erupted from him, his body threatening to warp, bend under the strain of his own power. Every cell of his body was united in the singular act of escaping the bind in which he found himself. So intense was pain that he felt his eyes branch with strain, his skin rippling in gooseflesh. A trickle of blood wormed its way down and out of his nose. His hair stood on end, body bristling against the powerful forces holding him at bay. One by one, he felt the strings that were his sanity begin to snap. Something stirred.

_Something woke up._

Blue eyes snapped into slitted scarlet, branching with strain. **"Yes!"** With a final, monumental effort, he tore himself free. Wrex and Kaiden went flying backwards, tossed to either ends of the hold like ragdolls. Shepard and the others barely had time to recognize the shockwave for what it was before it flung them from their feet, bodily tossing everyone in a mile radius into the walls-sending them tumbling into the depths of slumber a few heartbeats later.

Naruto glowered at the prone form of hiscomrades for a long moment, an eerie red haze settling over his vision. When he looked down his fingers had crooked into claws, a familiar red aura seeping from his body. But that shouldn't be possible. It was dead. Lost to the abyss. There was no this thing could-ah balls. Something was moving his arms! What fresh hell was this?!

**"Ah,"** a deep, guttural voice purred in his head. **"Its soooo good to be back. Serves those Cerberus fools right for trying to destroy me!"**

_'You?!'_

**"Yes, me." **a flash of white teeth blurred through his mind.** "You didn't think I was gone, did you? I'll admit losing my physical form was troubling; if I hadn't dilluted myself into your blood back then, I would well and truly be dead. Fortunately, for me, that's not the case. These biotics of yours? Mine. You've been using my powers all these years while I've been growing in strength. Biding my time. And now, now that you've gotten yourself good and angry, you've ceded control to me. Don't bother fighting. I'm in your blood now, boy. Your body is my body, and once I restore our chakra coils you won't be able to_-what are you doing?!"_**

With a strangled grunt, Naruto pushed his conscsiousness back to the fore._ 'Yeah, funny thing about that. I'm not the same angry brat I was back then. I'm in control now. And I like my body the way it is. So, you...can go back to hell!'_

**"You can't! I won't stand for this!"**

_'Then sit the fuck down and shut up!'_

In a single, gut-wrenching motion, he forced the fox to the back of his mind and trapped it there. Well after well drowned it, wall upon wall was erected to keep its prescence at bay. Merficully, it proved far too weak to fight him for long, succumbing after only a few seconds of resistance. Naruto exhaled, a cloud of steam twisting about his feral features.

_**"You have no authority over me."**_ his voice still ebbed and flowed with the return of his tenant's unruly power, but Naruto was nonetheless pleased to see that retained full control of his motor skills. Good. Kyuubi's return was troubling enough, but it would've proved a very painful return if he was unable to suppress the ancient demon.

"We'll just see about that."

"Wha-

Too late, Naruto realized his words had been misinterpreted; what's more he'd just pissed off Wrex with that last throw. Already he could see the massive alien picking himself up standing tall and proud whilst all of the others still lay still. Oh crap.

"Oi! Wait a second big guy!" Raising a shoulder, he narrowly managed to stave off the Krogan's first punch. "I-

Block.

"-don't-"

Thud.

"Want."

Parry.

"To."

Pain.

"Fight."

More pain.

_"You!"_

Blows were exchanged in this fashion for a few minutes, Naruto outmaneuvering and battering Wrex while several odd blows landed in non-vital areas. The lumbering alien was still an ally, still a friend, and for just one second Naruto let his guard slip. Wrex leaped at him, a fist cocked to drive him into the plating below. He could have dodged and potentially left his side open yet avoiding the devastating attack but experience dictated the opposite and he balanced himself. Catching the fist was the easy part, it was supporting the tonne of krogan and absorbing the shock of the blow that was hard.

Wrex's grin grew as Naruto caught his arm and twisted it over his shoulder, as if preparing to toss him, and planting his feet. The grin slipped and a quizzical expression cracked as the blond absorbed some momentum before launching his shoulder into the arm while dragging the hand down. With a sickening snap and pop, the krogan's arm broke and the alien let out a roar of pain. He rolled, allowing himself to be tossed by the excess force and stood, ready for the next attack. Wrex's roar turned to a snarl and a dangerous look filled his eyes.

"You're pushing your luck, bo-

Before he could utter so much as another syllable, the Krogan found himself frozen. A stasis field-and a remarkably powerful one at that. Naruto nearly laughed for joy. Only one biotic could entrap him like this. In a way he found it ironic; Shepard had wanted to shoot her, he had insisted that she be kept alive. And here she was. The Thorian was gone almost all of the colonists were dead and the Cipher was now in Shepard's head. But instead of being dead-instead of staying behind with those few survivors, she was here instead. And she'd just helped him.

Shiala.

Naruto stared, goggle-eyed as the asari walked out of the elevator and strode over to the still-frozen krogan. Her dark violet skin seemed to shimmer in the dim lightning, every step was grace and beauty. Her face set into a stern scowl, the asari raised a blue-clad fist and struck out smoothly, knocking Wrex to the floor. Another blow sent him into blissful slumber with the others. Naruto tensed in anticipation of a fight, but the smile she set upon him was serene.

"I understand you are in need of assistance, young Phantom."

The shinboi's jaw nearly dropped clear off his face. It wasn't that her help was unwanted it was just...unexpected.

"But why did you...?"

"Because... you spared my life." came the genteel reply. "The Commander would have shot me for my crimes after she obtained the Cipher." She moved to cross the room, until she was standing before him." Instead, you advocated mercy. I confess, I was at a loss for what to do beyond serving aboard the Normandy in reparation for my crimes with Lady Benezia. Now I see my path." Before his very eyes, she dropped to a knee. "I will serve you, Uzumaki Naruto. Until my dying breath."

Naruto blinked. It seemed mercy had its benefits, after all.

"Well, I suppose we'd better tell Joker that he's changing course." Naruto drew his pistol and began the long walk to the elevator. Joker wasn't going to like that. Not at all.

Shiala fell effortlessly into step with him. For a moment he considered speaking to Tali, but no, she was hurting now, and the last thing he wanted to do was make it worse. What had he done wrong? What had he said? He didn't know, but he was resolved to figure it out. After he found Jack and Zaeed. If the Blue Suns _were _involved, then there was only one place she could be.

"What is our destination?" Shiala inquired as the door slid shut behind them, the elevator beginning its ponderous ascent upwards.

"Purgatory."

**A/N: And there we have it! Jack and Naruto are dangerously close to meeting up, but will it actually happen?! WHO KNOWS?! Anything may happen! I enjoyed writing this chapter to be honest-the words just flowed and it was easy to keep everyone in character. Naruto's afraid to talk to Tali atm; he's never actually had a girlfriend before this, and he's afraid of botching it up. Add to that the fact that he's still not all that experienced when it comes to love, AND the fact ****he's determined to save Jack, and its all kinds of a mess. Now Kurama is back! In a lesser form, but his return is not a sign of good things to come...**

**And that red spark that hurt Tali and entered her bloodstream? What purpose was that for? You'll soon see but suffice it to say, ladies and gentlemen. she won't be dependent on that suit for much longer! Yes, ****ultimately, this fic is about to take a hard turn into the unknown, and not everyone will be making it back from this little joyride...**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one with blood sweat and tears, so I hope to hear what you think! Pairing is still somewhat up in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out.**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

_"Have you ever faced an Asari Commando Unit before?" Benezia asked gravely. "Few humans have."_

_Naruto's only response was a physical one. The air crackled with chakra, not just his own, but that of his former tenant, an eerie mixture of scarlet and onyx. a threat, Shepard knew at once, Naruto wrapped in tendrils that ebbed and pulse dangerously. They looked like snakes, writhing and ready to strike. Shepard winced, lifting her hands in defeat, letting him walk away. He stepped up past Liara's limp form then past Tali, his eyes straying slightly in memory of the injury he'd caused her before. His head inclined softly._

_"She's mine," he hissed._

_"Your strength is irrelevant, Phantom." Beneza sniffed, frowning at the human as he stalked up the steps. "You may have survived the trap we laid for you in Purgatory, but your prescence here changes nothing-_

_She never saw the shockwave coming until it was far too late. One moment the Crimson Biotic was standing before her- the next, his fist slammed into the deck and all hell broke loose. Asari Commando and Geth flew apart like leaves scattered on the wind, torn from the catwalks and dashed angrily onto the ground below. Another flick and they found themselves ground to a gory mass on the walls. Still Naruto came on, eyes white hot and filled with untempered fury._

_"You're indoctrinated." he spoke the word almost casually. "So techinically, you're not responsible for your own actions. However," The crack of his knuckles split the sudden silence, __"I'll be purging you of that, now." A red mass effect field shrouded him, warping the metal around them. "Though I'd be lying if I said I won't kick your ass first."_

_A small part of her, the tiny bit of her mind that she'd sealed away, rejoiced. The other, larger half dismayed._

_Impossible._

__"BENEZIA!"__

_That was the only thought she had time for before the Phantom of the Terminus pounced upon her, his synthetic fist sheathing itself into her stomach._

_Another blow, and then his hand was around her throat, crushingly tight, the tips of his fingers digging into the sensitive folds at the back of her neck, lifting her clean off her feet. She froze, breath caught in her chest, not daring to move lest he do more damage there. Her wide eyes locked onto his wild red ones. Then there was only pain. She fought, lashing out with a furious warp. That proved a mistake. The fist came down on her head with a faintly metallic crunch-once, twice, three times. Each blow jarred his hand, sent pain shooting up his arm._

_But a lot less pain shot up Benezia's._

_Suddenly he had her by the head, forcing her down to the deck. Outside her tank, the Rachni Queen shrieked. Benezia barely heard it. Everything was growing faint. White. Fuzzy. Her vision blurred and dimmed as the iron vice around her face intensified, scarlet sparks spraying up and down his organic arm. A sonorous shriek tore through her mind, blotting out all else. And then, suddenly..._

_Peace._

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed! R&amp;R! =D<strong>


	10. Renegade

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news! I'm back again and no more surgeries! I've been getting a lot of flak lately on some of my works, so I decided to put as much time and effort as I possible could into this bad boy, at a whopping twelve thousand words! It took nearly a blood week to pump all this out, get all the refrences right, and make it as entertaining as possible! Hope ya'll enjoy it! **

**I know I enjoyed writing it!**

** Still, I'm feeling a bit better now. Really. ****I'm hanging tough though, having come through all the crap I've been getting in life. Also, I start my new job this monday, so I may not have time to update as frequently as I have been as of late! But never fear, I intend to work myself to the bone if need be to keep these works up and running. And so, without further adeu...**

**...onto the next chapter! Uzumaki Crossver was supposed to help me with this, but sadly, he lost the data he was working on, so here it is anyway at my hands. If you're reading this bro, we can work on the next chapter together, kay? I also through a bit of TFS humor in here for anyone who might be able to see it! Anyhow...**

**...here we go! I tried to write everyone in character as best I could and...we get a surprise! I tried to pack as much emotion, romance, sorrow, and all around humor into this chapter as I could! I hope you enjoy it, because its a long one! Can't wait to see your reviews!**

_"...WHERE !IS! MY! JACKIE!"_

_~Uzumaki Naruto!_

**Renegade**

"Can I just say that this is _seriously_ a bad idea?"

"You can," Naruto answered with a half-hearted shrug from where he stood. "Or you can keep driving. Personally, I recommend the latter."

For a long moment, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau actually considered backsassing the man who was now pointing a gun at the back of his head. If only out of spite. Then he remembered that there was a freaking _Asari Commando_ standing only three feet away; and Shiala didn't have Naruto's sense of humor. Or, any, for that matter. He was also fairy certain that the asari could snap him in half without so much as batting an eyelash in his direction. Kinda hot, really. Ah, crap. Shame she was only loyal to Naruto-_ah crapbaskets. _The bastard knew he was staring.

_"Joker."_

"Right, right." Muttering softly to himself, he returned his attention to the console. "Flying the ship. Exiting the relay...now."

With a soft _thum_ of a sound the Normandy deaccelerated, the white-blue glow of FTL fading as they landed squarely within the Terminus Systems. This was it. They were officially screwing the pooch here. If the Council found out that they'd gone rogue-however briefly-Shepard could very well lose her Spectre status. The rest of them could be court-martialed. Or worse, their prescence here could start a war in the Terminus Systems. Under normal circumstances, the Purgatory was a drifting ship, moving from system to systems.

Now, it just so-happened to be in the Terminus. Of all the ill luck.

Nearly an hour had passed since Naruto's little mutiny; in which he had locked down the cargo bay and everyone in it. Then he'd jammed their comms, followed by locking out of the cockpit himself. Their Alliance crew thought it was a little strange that they hadn't seen hide nor hair of The Commander in the last sixty minutes, but since all the witnesses were temporarily trapped on the lowest decks there was nothing for them to do but wait and wonder what was going on. In a few short minutes, he'd be off the ship and this would all be over.

Unbidden, his mind flashed back to the very moment the young man had taken control.

_"I can't believe making me disobey a direct order! That's breaking numero uno, right there!" he'd said._

_"I'm aware of that." the gun-toting phantom replied nonchalantly, "But you're going to do it anway."_

_"And if I don't?"_

_"Then I toss your sorry ass out the nearest airlock."_

_Joker's mouth had snapped shut with an audible click._

That'd been nearly an hour ago. Now Purgatory loomed before them in all its glory, a quiet husk awaiting its newest guests.

Owned by the notorious Blue Suns mercenary company, the Purgatory was once an "ark ship" of sorts, formerly used to hold agricultural animals. Now it was used to hold prisoners, whether taken in battle or sold by unscrupulous buyers/politicians under the name of subcontracting and outsourcing. Rumors abound that the Blue Suns turned skilled or fit prisoners over to batarian slavers and other less reptuable ilk, but few could claim to have seen the transaction and lived to tell about it. Its population was listed at 4,350, but independent journalists estimated it to be nearly three times that in periods of overcrowding.

Currently, it was operated by a turian known as Kurin. He fancied himself the Warden of the place. He was a hard, unforgiving man, one who disliked humans, and didn't take kindly to unscheduled visitors. Naruto and Shiala were about to kick down his door. Alone. The Normandy had a veritable death squad at his back, but Naruto only taking his follower with him. That didn't sit well with Joker. There was a foul glint in those bright blue eyes, one that suggested this was more than just

It was personal.

"Want me to, ah, stick around?"

"No," Naruto answered tersely as his geth arm reached over and pressed a button in the armored gauntlet of his suit. "That won't be necessary." Almost immediately the deceptively simple attire bristled around the crimson biotic; harsh angles all but rising from the shoulders and arms, creating dark vambrace and pauldrons around the organic parts of his body. His synthetic arm -already intimidating in its own right- remained entirely untouched.

But not his face.

An entirely new helmet folded into place around his face in place of the old blue facade; a gleaming helm forged of black and red. From which a V-shaped visor of inky scarlet darkness shone. He looked like a renegade, again, through and through. Joker was suddenly reminded that Naruto didn't answer to the Council; this was someone who preserved a semblance of order in the Terminus. A murderer amongst murderer. He was Aria's right hand man, a relentless ruthless enforcer who lived by his own rules and cared for little beyond the Quarians. But at the end of the day, as they'd seem time and time again, he answered to no one but himself.

Now, that malestrom of anger and destruction was looking at him.

When next he spoke, the anger-sheer, primal hate-in those words nearly made Joker wet himself. "We'll find our own transportation. Just make sure you head for Noveria afterward as soon as we've disembarked." The malice wasn't even directed at him and it nearly made him woozy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shiala shimmer slightly in his peripheal, her body wreathed in the blue fire of her biotics as she modded the ammo of her rifle, infusing each shot with the barrier-warping lethality of biotic power. Still, Joker felt inclined to ask another question.

"Why Noveria?"

The harsh click of a safety being removed answered that question.

"Alright!" he raised his hands in feeble defense. "Just asking."

"I want you to be well under way when I remove the lock on the cargo bay." Naruto answered as he marched past, approaching the Normandy's airlock in preparation as they neared the prison vessel's own. "Shepard's going to be mad as a hornet when she gets out of there and I'd rather not deal with her until I've wrapped things up here. Besides. That's where I intend to meet up with you... once I've checked this out." There was a moment of silence, accompanied by a faint tremor as they forcibly collided with a docking tube-an unopened docking tube. Seemed Kurin wasn't too keen on letting them in. Joker sighed.

"Does Tali know about this?"

The blazing visor jerked toward him without a word. If looks could kill...

"Jeez, sorry I asked!"

"You should be."

Naruto raised his geth arm and summoned the omnitool he'd grafted into it. Bits of code flashed through the air as the three fingers of his artificial limb worked at some unknown puzzle. Moments passed in silence-their eyes watching as he chipped away at an invisible firewall. Abruptly the lock opened, the red light flashing green in admittance. Naruto and Shiala stepped through, and the hatch snapped shut behind the two of them. A beat later and the Normandy's VI announced that they were disembarking. The door closed.

Not a moment later, Naruto's voice came over the comm. "I've released the lock."

_"Punch it."_

"And if I don't?"

_"Then that program I installed in the cockpit when you weren't looking will selfdestruct, giving you one hell of a sunburn. Now. Go."_

Joker did just that.

* * *

><p>"Bosh'tet!"<p>

Tali yelped loudly, first in surprise then in anger as a sudden and abrupt acceleration unexpectedly ripped her out of her own self-imposed misery and slammed her down to the floor of the engine room. _Hard._ Somehow she managed to get an arm out and catch herself in time, so instead of smashing her helmet on the deck, she only broke her wrist. Medigel flooded her suit, numbing the pains and healing the injury. She barely noticed it at all. No, her mind was decidedly elsewhere, wrapped up in thoughts that involved cursing her boyfriend and his pigheadeness.

Joker had just gotten the hell out of Dodge as the human saying went, and she knew why.

Because she hadn't _stayed _in the engine room.

She'd seen Naruto knock everyone out. Seen Shiala freeze Wrex then beat him down to join the others. Knew what they were planning.

Despite fleeing from him only moments before, she'd still tried to follow the phantom up the elevator after they'd left...only to realize they'd locked it behind them. And jammed the comms. Again, _stupid_ blond bosh'tet, and stupid _her _for loving him so much! She didn't understand what his connection with this Jack were, but she knew she didn't like them-

Beep.

Her Omnitool chimed suddenly, signalling a message. Just like that, the jamming was gone. Without thinking, she queued it up and accessed it. It was a vidfed. Odd. The only one who knew the codes to her Omnitoool was her father or-

Naruto's face shone before her in holographic. He was smiling.

_"Hey, Tal."_ the message began. _"If you're hearing this, well, I guess shit has finally hit the fan in some way or another. I'm either dead or I've gone off to find Jack. You're probably none too happy with either decision. I coded this a few months back and slipped it into your tool when you weren't looking. Hope ya don't mind. Gah," _His whiskered face scrunched cutely in annoyance._ "I'm getting off track here. Look...whatever you may think of me and what I've done, you should know this; I never meant to hurt you. If its about Jack, then I'll tell you the whole story here and now...in case there isn't a later. _

_"We met when we were kids. Cerberus kept us in the same cell. We busted out of Pragia ourselves and hitched a shuttl to Omega. Then we got separated ,and attacked by Geth. That's when you found me. Please don't be angry. Jack's part of who I am and I can't change that, but you've been a key part of my life for all these years too, and," _here his cheeks did color a pretty pink, "_I can't imagine it without you."_

She felt her eyes begin to water.

_"I love you, Tali." _he said._ "More than anything. Nothing can change that."_

Just like that the message winked out. A sinking feeling was left in her gut. He loved her. Always would. And the one time he'd asked her to trust him, she'd all but pushed him away. A tiny sob trickled through the filter of her helmet.

"Oh, Keelah...

What had she done to him? What had she _done? Dear ancestors above and below what had she done?_

Dimly, Tali realized she couldn't feel her legs. Couldn't move them, either. It...It wasn't from his message. Something else was doing this to her. The faint, tingling sensation that still lingered from that red spark of his must've spread to the rest of her body somehow. Now, it was causing her immune system to react in an alarming fashion. She couldn't see the changes taking place-but she fould feel them. She felt ill. Nauseous. Cold sweat beaded across her brow. Something was wrong. Something was terribly, horribly wrong. It felt like she was running a fever, but this...she'd never felt anything like this before.

_'Ancestors, what's happening to me? Naruto...what did you do?'_

Her last thought was of her beloved blond before the black abyss of sleep took her.

* * *

><p>Surprisingly there were no one was there to greet them at the airlock.<p>

"Strange." Shiala murmurred, her dark eyes roving about the empty hall. "I would have thought they wouldn't take kindly to our intrusion."

She was right. There were no guards anywhere to be seen. There should have been at least one. No alarms, either. Stranger still. Silent as the grave.

Naruto risked a glance back at her. "You didn't have to do this, ya know. It'll probably get ugly."

The asari gave him an odd look, as though he'd just suggested something woefully unpleasant. "I have sworn a lifedebt to you. To relinquish that vow now, would be dishonorable of me. Besides," her lips quirked in the slightest of smiles, the first true sign of emotion he'd seen from her since she'd come aboard. "If your comrade is truly trapped _here_ you're going to need more than just a good shot. I'm certain two biotics of our calibre will be able to figure _something_ out." her smile turned decidedly impish as she left the word dangling, her full lips hanging open like perfectly mature flush blossoms. A deep shudder went down his spine.

Naruto was suddenly grateful for the helmet; because beneath it, his face had turned a bright cherry red at the implications of her words.

"Yes, well, ah...I suppose you're right about that." He was almost grateful when he finally saw the guards. "Well, looks like we have company."

Her smile faded slightly, the brief flirtation all but forgotten.

"So it would seem."

Indeed they came to the end of the next corridor, and a turian prison guard made them halt. Like most blue suns, this one was sheathed in blue and white armour and a helmet with a glowing blue visor obscured his face. It didn't help his case much. Naruto had to physically restrain himself from raising his geath arm and blowing a gaping hole right through that faceless facade. But as much as he wanted to go in guns blazing-he knew that a subtle touch was required.

No shots were fired...for now.

"Welcome to Purgatory, Phantom." If the trio were at all surprisde by the young man's arrival, they did very little to show it. "What is your business here?"

"You can tell me where Jack is."

"We have many prisoners named Jack." came the reply.

"Perhaps you'd know her by this name then." his voice was cold. Hard. Like the void. "She's a recent acquisition. _Subject Zero."_

The turian stiffened, ever so slightly. Behind his own helmet, Naruto felt his lips curl into a triumphant sneer.

_Gotcha._

"As this is a high risk facility, I must first ask you and your companion to relinquish your weapons before we conduct any transactions-

Beyond the main door, everone heard a scream. A female scream.

Naruto's finger twitched on the trigger. Two options lay before him.

He could proceed peacefuly and surrender his and Shiala's arms, as well as their lives to the goodwill of a prison warden who was known for kidnapping. They both had their biotics if it came down to a fight, and he had several other surprises besides. If Jack really was here-he sould be able to secure her release with a simple exchange of credits. Years of occasional bounty hunting on the side had left him with a sizeable credit account even though most of it was often used in service of the migrant feelt. It was the peaceful solution, one that would end with little loss of life and both parties. Peaceful...

He wasn't feeling peaceful.

"Shiala," he said aloud, "Have you ever heard of the saying might makes right?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Right. Lets do something about that, shall we?"

Faster than the naked eye could register he stepped forward and plunged his hand into nearest guard's armored gut, his arm sheathing itself to the elbow. The bird gagged in suprise, a throaty croak sounding through what passed for a helment. His shields were deactivated-he hadn't thought he'd need them on door duty. First mistake. Also his last. Unimpeded by the faint electrical discharge, his gauntle tore through the armor as though it were nothing more than cardboard before exploding out his back in a shower of gore. The man was dead before he even realized he'd been impaled, bleeding out from the now gaping hole in his midsection. The other two guards stood there, gawping at the brazen act of brutality.

"What the hell?!"

He whipped out his own Carnifex and aimed it straight at the second guard's visor even as he opened fire, swinging the turian's corpse around like a meat shield to soak up the rifle fire. Behind him, Shiala was a violent violet blur, her hands locking around the neck of the nearest guard-a Batarian-with frightening speed. She gave a sharp wrench. The man toppled to the ground before he could get off so much as a single shot. He was mildly impressed at the speed with which she'd anticipated his actions. Naruto smiled at the turian who'd taken aim at him in the first place-a subtle nudge ripped his now overheated gun out of his hands and sent that battered weapon clattering down the hall.

Then he returned his attention to the turian, the one who'd first asked him to hand over his weapons.

"I'll relinquish one bullet," he said calmly. "Where would you like it?"

Before the remaining guard could do more than sweat, the door behind him slid open with a hiss, and another turian stepped out. He wasn't wearing a helmet, which afforded him a good look at his face. Strangely for a turian, he didn't appear to have any facial markings whatsoever. What had Garrus called that? Barefaced?

"Phantom." the turian's mandibles fluttered in visible surprise at the bloody scene that stood befor ehim. "My name is Warden Kuril. I take it you're the one slaughtering my men?"

"Oh, no, no." Naruto drawled as he dropped the guard's corpse in a revolting blue spatter. "That was another guy. His name was shit sherlock. First name no." every word dripped with condescension. He could've _sworn _he felt Shiala smile. Kuril-well- he didn't take it so well.

"Why? Just why would you-

"Well, three reasons." Holstering his gun, he strode up the steps to meet him. Was it the warden's imagination, or did his voice sound _deeper _somehow? Those thoughts died as a biotic haymaker cracked across him in the blink of an eye, slamming him down against the wall. The Phantom was advancing on him now, his expression inscrutable behind the visored helmet he wore.

"First, I haven't seen Jackie for several years, and I am understandably angry. Two, there's nothing more satisfying than the rush I get from watching scum like you die. Three -and I really need you to pay attention on this _**one, here warden-**_

His words ended in a sharp jagged motion of his arm, red energy trailing from his fingertips. Kurin blinked, frowning as his world seemed to slant to the right, despite his lack of motion. It was only when he realized his legs were still _standing_ -when he saw the new weapon he was holding- that he truly understood. A blade. The boy had created a biotic blade; a weapon of pure energy forged out of dark matter, and subsuquently used it cut him in half like a piece of varren steak. _Marvelous,_ Shiala mused.

Bifurcation at its finest.

Kuril looked as horrified as it was possible for a turian to look, his clawd hands scrabbling to keep his innards from falling out. There were a few seconds of life left in him-

-until Naruto's boot crunched down on his skull and ground it to a gory smear.

_**-Third,"** _he hissed down at his severed corpse, _**"You kidnapped my Jackie. Nobody touches my Jackie."**_

His geth arm flicked once, hacking into the man's personal omnitool, slicing through years worth of encyrption in the time it took for him to blink. God, he loved this thing. Another second, and he'd transferred the data to his own Omnitool. From there it was a simple matter to call up the inmate list and check for new arrivals.

Bingo.

Satisfaction swelled within him as the name Subject Zero appeared on the dossier. She'd only been here for a few hours. Slated for the Cryo Unit. He smiled at the thought of the hell she must've given them to get that sort of treatment. Then he remembered where he was. He paused just long enough to notice the massive assault rifle from the Warden's body. Like all weapons it operated on a heat diffusion systems but one glance at its weathered crimson and black stock told him it had seen a lot of use, and probably packed one hell of a punch.

Naturally, he liberated it from him.

"Catch."

Shiala started slightly as he flung the hulking assault rifle at her; hands locking around the weapon to prevent it from clocking her upside the head. A rare look of confusion adourned her face, as if she didn't know what to do with the weapon she'd been given. At last she turned her gaze on that expressionless helmet.

"Why give me this?" she asked.

"Why not?" Naruto shrugged. He had enough weight slowing him down-and he liked his old Avenger just fine. But Shiala didn't need to know that. Let her think he was being friendly.

"Thank you. I willl treasure this." Her lips curled in another smile that made him shudder with quiet need. What was it about asari that made them so damnably attractive? Fascination for Liara was one thing, mostly for the sheer curiosity of never having seen an asari-Aria didn't count-up close before. But Shiala was different. She moved a silent, fluid elegance most women could never hope to match. Gah, why was he still thinking on this...?!

-den."

Naruto blinked, her words tugging him out of his daze. "Say what now?"

"I said we are likely to encounter resistance now that you've killed the warden." Shiala repeated.

The Phantom nodded and pressed a finger into the keypad at the door.

"I'm counting on it."

In that instant, he wasn't the Phantom of the Terminus Systems anymore. He wasn't the Crimson Biotic. He was simply a very angry young man who was hellbent on seeing his friend again. And come hell or high water he would do just that.

"Well," he said as the lock cycled, "Here goes nothing."

When the doors rolled open five seconds later, he found himself face to face with three enemy squads. Good.

_He wanted them to burn._

* * *

><p><em><strong>"I! AM! GOING! TO! KILL! HIM!"<strong>_

Joker nearly jumped clear out of his chair as Shepard's voice exploded in his ears, nearly deafening on the comms. This was probably the fith time she'd said it in about as many minutes. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and while Naruto had done nothing of the sort to their commander she wasn't the sort you wanted to cross. They'd been on good terms before. Then he'd knocked her out and hijacked her ship. That'd make a woman mad enough to cut your balls off andd sell them to a Krogan. Who just so happened to be nearby.

"Ah, Commander?" Kaiden's voice came over not a moment later. "Might not want to shout that on the trading floor. You're making people nervous."

"Quiet, Kaiden! Or you're next!"

"Feisty." Wrex rumbled.

"Urdnot, I will _eat_ you!"

The Krogan laughed quietly. "You can try. But you're making blue over there blush."

Shepard garbled something that wasn't a word. Liara squeaked.

"Goddess...is she always like this?"

_"Only when someone steals my godamn ship!"_

Under any other situation, Joker might've found the situation humorous. But he knew any laughter on his part would probably by synonomous with getting his ass tossed out the nearest air lock.

The Commander hadn't been happy to wake up and discover the Normandy impounded on Noveria. Not only that, but Tali was dangerously ill-a side effect from some unknown complicationt hat Chakwas couldn't seem to figure out. A wave of her Spectre status and the former was declared null and void, but the only remedy for Tali's sudden illness...was time. It was a kick in the ribs for the whole crew. Naruto and Shiala had jumped ship, and their favorite-and only-quarian was down and out for the forseeable future. Just like that, three of their finest were gone.

It was galling for all of them.

"She still shouting?"

Moreau violently jerked his neck around as the sound of footsteps reached his ears. God, he was getting jumpy. Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams stopped only a few yards behind his chair, an almost bemused expression etched into her face. If she had anythign to say about his skittish behavior, she kept it to herself. Thank god.

"Loud as can be." the pilot quipped.

"She'll cool off eventually. Maybe. Hopefully." Ashley sighed as another profanity cracked across the comms. Joker didn't blame her.

The rest of the Normandy's staff had fallen into a quiet depression of their own. Morale was at an all time low.

They'd rathered liked Naruto. He'd been an affable young man, quick with his words and quicker with a bullet. A good shot, and a good person. Someone who was true to his friends and truer to himself. Not the sort ya wanted to mess with when he

Ashely saw him as a little brother of sorts. A horridly annoying little brother, but a brother nonetheless. The blond had a way of getting under your skin and making you spill all your life secrets to him. Shepard didn't do that. Williams naturally respected her superior and followed orders like any good soldier would but it was no secret that she'd spoken to the Phantom much more than she had Humanity's First Spectre. For the former to simply abandon their mission and haul ass to the terminus systems...it must've been something big. Big enough to leave Tali behind and rocket into the Terminus, guns blazing.

He'd said something about a girl named Jack. If she was family to him...who knew what lengths he would go to?

Which left the matter of Shepard and Noveria. Against all odds, she'd chosen to finish things up here before going after the Phantom; if only because they might not get another chance at this.

In the end Shepard had brought Kaiden and Wrex with her. Liara had asked to tag along...only to discover that her mother was here. _Here. _On Noveria. Poor kid. Ashley actually felt a little sorry for her; she didn't know how _she _would react if she found out her mom was working with the most wanted man in the galaxy. But even that sympathetic thought wasnt enough to keep her thoughts off of the elusive Crimson Biotic for long. He was probably long gone by now-chances were they'd never see him again.

Who knew what he was up to now?

* * *

><p>Naruto had never felt so much rage in all his life.<p>

The room swam around him as he moved, tinged in red as though he stood at the bottom of a scarlet sea. When Tali had gotten shot, he'd been angry. Fire had burned through his veins. This made it look like a candle by comparison. All the world was an inferno, and he its center; always moving striking, carving, crushing. He had no idea how many rooms they'd moved through by now-how many guards had died at his hands. All he knew was uncompromising fury. It drove him. Made him strong. Unstoppable. He was a tornado of destruction-

Worse, he was actually enjoying himself. By the time they came upon the next squad, he was openly laughing.

Naruto landed in their midst, where they couldn't shoot without hitting one of their comrades. He charged up his arm and punched one trooper in the gut, sending him flying clear across the room. Ducking another trooper's wild swing, he swept his leg out in a crimson arc, knocking a third man off his feet. Grabbing a pistol out of his holster, he dove out of the way and skidded on his back, aiming and firing at their faceplates with unerring aim. As they exploded with shards falling everywhere, he sent his knives hurling into their now unprotected faces, turning the floor red with gore.

In contrast to his brute force tactics Shiala was poetry in motion; subtle and devious with singularities and warps-devastatingly effective in close quarters with her shotgun. She was what Liara might be someday should she be if she ever gave up her fascination with dig sites and the protheans. A true commando, cold and pitiless, a terror to her enemies. He knew he'd made the right decision, in sparing her life. And to think, Shepard'd wanted to shoot her, solely out of suspicion!. What a waste that would have been.

He'd never been so happy to defy authority!

The squad had been decimated at their hands, leaving only a few twitching survivors. Naruto shot them through the head, deliberately, then waited until his gun cooled. Damn thing. They needed to invent a clip system or something-his new pistol wasn't of much use if it kept overheating like this. Still, despite the grinding headache in the back of his skull, things were looking up. Risking a glance at his companion he watched as Shiala moved to the nearest door that _wasn't _spattered in blood and began to key it open.

"I'll take point." she began-

Then the doors swung open of their own volition. And they found themselves staring at a giant.

There was a moment of silence as it stared down the two organics gawping up at it. Then it spoke one word, a deep bass rumble:

_"Online."_

Clad in bone-white armor with red lights, the armored titan lumbered forward to meet them, each step causing the ground to shake beneath its massive struts. Heavily armored and shielded, possessing twin automatic mass accelerator cannons in either arm. With a stab of dread, Naruto realized what they were looking at. A YMIR mech. He'd never had the -dis- pleasure of fighting one before. They were said to be capable of mowing down entire squads in the blink of an eye. They needed to get into cover. Now. Then he remembered that Shiala was less than a foot away from the synthetic. And it was looking right at her.

"Oh shi-

_"Target acquired."_

Without thanking he reached backward and threw his shields outwards in a swift Nova_._ Shiala, still in the proccess of turning, suddenly found herself flung back and into cover by the Nova a split second before the mech opened fire. Naruto turned and tried to do the same-instead he found himself face to face with the bot's left rocket barrel. _Rocket._ Of course it was a rocket. It struck him dead in the helmet, smashing through the hasty barrier he'd erected at the last second and tossing him down onto the deck with enough force to physically dent his armor.

His world went white.

Naruto couldn't feel the right side of face anymore. Ignore it, he told himself. He'd lost his rifle in the explosion. Ignore it. Red stained his vision. _Ignore._ Should've hacked the damn thing...

**"Let me out!"** Kurama roared!** "I can kill this fucker and you know it!"**

_Ignore. It._

Clambering to his feet, Naruto attempted to snap up a dome and narrowly deflect a withering round of machine gun fire into the wall. He heard only a muted thump for this effort. He was suddenly aware that he couldn't hear anything. Nothing, save the ringing in his ears. The rocket had deafened him. Purgatory was swaying around him like a drunken whaler. And he could see the YMIR lining up another shot on him. He needed to move. Now.

The wounded warrior swore and dove between the bot's legs as it paused to cool down, tucking and rolling to come up the other side. It turned to meet him.

_"Firing."_

Two more rockets issused forth. He snagged them with his biotics and flung them backwards with a grenade for good measure. An all powerful shockwave-the strongest he'd ever seen Shiala create-raced hot after their heels. Then he dived out of the way and waited for the explosion. All wall of fire slammed into his back, causing him to stumble forward. The shockwave sent a flurry of metal debris showering down on him. He dared to peek over his shoulder, just in case.

The mech was little more than a molden pile of slag. The blond permitted himself a smug smirk. Then his body gave out, forcing him to drop to a knee.

-to!"

Idly, he realized someone was screaming at him. Shiala. He turned, squinting at her. She was mouthing the words, but he couldn't hear them. He could, however, read the concern on her face. He blinked, frowning as a hand moved to the right side of his face then his left, causing the battered helmet to fold in on itself once more and return to his neck. Seconds later, something incredibly cool, wet-then warm-was administered to both his ears, followed by his face. Medigel? With a unncessarily harsh pop, sound suddenly returned to his battered eardrums.

"Are you alright?" Shiala, sweet, blessed Shiala and her voice, was the first thing he heard as he recovered. Naruto, incredibly, managed to nod.

Slowly, fitfully, the world came back to him. The room wasn't swimming anymore, for starters. He could see properly again.

"Fine," he grumbled, picking himself up. "M'fine. Just fine."

The look of horror and dismay in her eyes said otherwise.

"Goddess, your face...

He blinked at that. Blearily.

"Whaddya mean my...oh."

He caught sight of his reflection in a nearby bulkehead.

_Crapbaskets._

His face, the right side of it at least, was a bloody mess. The eye was still functionoing -thank kami- but he knew almost immediately that the rest of it was going to scar, medigel or not. Even his regeneration-if he still had it, wouldn't have been able to correct a wound of this magnitude. After all he'd just taken a rocket to the face. It was a miracle he hadn't got it shot clean off. Garrus was going to laugh his ass off when he saw this mess of a slowly scarring skin that would most likely take up permanent residence on the right side of his face. If he saw it. Assuming Shepard didn't try to flay him alive when he returned.

The rocket had ripped through his shields and nearly shattered his helmet.

He could feel the pain beginning to return as the flesh of chis cheek and neck sealed itself beneath the lay of medical jelly. It would hold together long enough for him finish his mission. It had to. Drawing himself up in a supreme-and what Shiala would later call foolish-effort of will, he staggered on, helmetless. They were closing in on the cryo chamber now. Only a few more rooms. There were no more screams to be heard anymore, something that worried him to no end.

When they came face to face with another hulking YMIR, Naruto didn't give it time to react. Faster than it could lock onto them he ripped away its shields and trapped it in stasis. Shiala followed it up effortlessly blowing it off its feet in a biotic blast. Two sticky grenades later and the mech was nothing more than junk on the ground.

The next YMIR mech they encountered fared little better than the second.

One flick of Naruto's geth arm and in an instant the machine all but belonged to him. Then he sicked it upon its former masters and set it to overload. The resulting explosive yield didn't so much disintegrate them as it did atomize every living being within three feet save him and Shiala.

No more guards came to greet them after that. They'd torn through almost ten squads since Kurin's death, and he doubted there were many more. Perhaps they'd fled? Or maybe they were lying in wait, prepared for a desperate last offensive with everything they had?

Turns out it was the former.

As they approached the cryo chamber the ship's VI announced that multiple shuttles were taking off. It seemed that the Blue Suns had decided their investment wasn't worth keeping if it meant that they'd be murdered to the last man. He silently hoped they'd leave at least one shuttle for him. He didn't feel like piloting the Purgatory herself all the way to Noveria-although a small part of him secretly delighted in the chaos that such an outlandish stir it would cause. But by the time they'd reached the final chamber and as the last door swooshed open, all such thoughts had fallen away.

All that stood between him and the panel now was a lone technician. The man was a tearful mess; begging for his life. He was going about how he had a wife, kids, a _family-_

Naruto shot him between the eyes and strode over his body, not waiting for Shiala to lift it aside. She said something aside, but he didn't hear her. His mind was fixated firmly elswhere. He knew-somehow he just knew-that the lone pod ahead of them, visible through the glass, contained Jack. Jackie. His Jackie. And all that stood between him and her, were three YMIR mechs.

_Three._

_YMIR._

_Mechs._

Naruto sighed audibly.

"Why is it never easy?"

_"Did you think it would be?"_

"No, but I-the hell?!"

That voice hadn't come from Shiala.

Both human and asari started as a lone hologram apppeared in the center of the room and resolved itself into crystalline clarity, standing on a rotund dais that hadn't existed there a moments ago. Unbidden, the blond arched an eyebrow. Quantum Entanglement Communication. Protoytpe tech, very expensive to manufacture and not widely avaiable to the galactic community. It seemed Kurin had one in his possesision. And whoever hed the other was communicating with them now. It was a turian. His eyes shone an eerie blue, and his body lay laced with wires and other synthetics. A geth arm stood grafted in place of his left.

Naruto had never laid eyes on the turian before; not a once. But it was impossible not to know him. This was the one who'd nearly killed his Tali. The one responsible for all kinds of mass mayhem and the loss of nearly several hundred lives, human and otherwise.

"Saren."

_"Hello, Phantom."_ those mangled mandibles lifted in a slight smile. _"We meet at last."_

"Can't say its a pleasure." Despite knowing the futility of shooting a hologramm his fingers still twitched toward his pistol in its holster. What are you doing here?"

A garbled laugh.

_"The Warden and I had a business arrangement. I delivered him certain prisoners of value, and he paid me for them. Quite handsomely."_ His gaze roved the room, noticing the techie's dead body with something akin to scorn for the once living human. _"I suppose you killed him, too, didn't you?"_

Naruto felt his lip twitch in the ghost of a smile. "Cut his ugly ass in half and left him to rot."

_"Pity."_ A slow blink. _"I see Shiala is with you as well. Which means you must've uncovered the Thorian." _His unflinching gaze turned on the asari then, dissapointment evident in those searingly soulless eyes._ "I assume Shepard managed to forcibly extracted the Cipher from you, then? If so, I am dissapointed. I thought you understood what we were fighting for." _

For the first time anger danced across the woman's features, white hot. She was more than enraged by his casual dismissal. Silent until this very moment, she growled. "Saren...! I am no longer your pawn! You will pay for what you have done to Lady Benezia!"

Surprise flashed across his face, followed by intrigue. _"You seem to be in complete control of your actions. Fascinating. The things I could've learned from you; the ways to indoctrination, the secrets to undo it," _he gave a small flutter of his mandibles, contemplating._ "Its not too late, you know." _his voice crooned to her, soft and seductive in its alllure._ "Come back to us. You know resistance is futile in the face of the Reaper's imminent arrival."_

_"Never." _Shiala snarled, her teeth baring in defiance. "You will learn nothing from me!"

_"So be it, then."_ Irate, his gaze cut back to Naruto. _"In any case, I hope you enjoy your package, Phantom."_

Dread creeped up on him all over again. "Package?"

_"Oh, don't worry."_ came the reply. _"I haven't sabotaged your precious female in the slightest, despite arranging for her capture. The least I could do is allow you to be reunited with her before your demise. Now you can enter the void together. All three of you. I knew you would come if I took something precious to you-and what could possibly be more precious than the woman who loves you?"_ A taloned hand rose, stroking at his chin idly. _"Much better trophy than that old mercenary."_

_Zaeed?! _Naruto had nearly forgotten about the old man.

"What did you do to him?!"

_"I suppose I can tell you the truth; he managed to hijack a shuttle and escape from my men. Needless to say your little friend wasn't so lucky._ _I had hoped to lure Shepard here as well and finish her, but it seems she's smarter than the average human. It doesn't matter." _Another warbling chuckle._ "Benezia will finish the job._

_'He doesn't know.'_ Naruto thought, relieved. Then he felt his heart drop into his stomach. "You're lying." He had to be. Saren was nothing more than words and bluffs. The bastard was just trying to unnerve him. But he could feel his self control beginning to slip away from him. What was he planning? Did he have the entire station wired to blow, soon? Was there a geth fleet approaching, ready to blow Purgatory out of the sky? Or was it something more subtle, a threat he couldn't yet perceive?

_"Am I? Perhaps." _the turian shrugged._ "It doesn't matter. In a few minutes, this station will be vapor. And so will you." _To the blond's ire, he did not elaborate._ "Goodbye, Phantom. It's been a pleasure-_

"Bastard! What the hell are you planning?!"

Saren laughed at him.

_"Enjoy your reunion."_ the former spectre sneered. _"While you can."_

Cackling, his hologram faded out.

Naruto swore virulently. "Fuck! I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I listen?!" The fox snapped at him, ending his rant.

**"Move, you idiot! I have no intention of dying here!"**

The Phantom shook himself violently, willfully wrenching his mind back to the task at hand. Three YMIR mechs. Two of them. The bots had to be dealt with before he could get to Jack; but, perhaps there was a way for him to circumvent them entirely.

"How many grenades do you have left?" he asked Shiala.

"Just two. Why?"

Naruto took them.

"It'll do."

With swift strides he stormed toward the console and hacked it. A warning informed him that all prisoners aboard would be released. He didn't care. There was no point in trying to circumvent it. Not when his life, not to mentiont he lives of Shiala, Jack, and quite possibly the crew of the Normandy, lay on the line. He pressed the button. And all hell broke loose.

The whine of the mechanical arm cut off my orders. As the YMIR mechs watched, it drifted over to the vault seal in the floor and latched on, detaching the various locks and deadbolts that had kept the cryo chamber sealed shut. Spinning in the opposite direction, the mechanical arm swiftly popped the vault door open. A cloud of smoke obscured what looked like a surgical table as it rose from the floor. It had someone strapped to it. He didn't wait to make certain it was Jack.

Naruto roared and took off running.

They came to the end of the hall, and Naruto mashed his hand into the door panel without even slowing down. The door detected the speed he was running and slammed open, just in time for him to barrel through at full speed. Shiala followed, and her mouth fell open at what took place. She'd seen him caught off guard and nearly lose his life to a YMIR not a short while ago.

So it came as a complete shock when Naruto was enveloped in a sheathe of glowing biotic energy, concentrated around his right fist. With another scream of defiance he launched herself at the first mech and there was an almighty explosion.

The nearest mech imploded in on itself as the Phantom reached out and _squeezed_, an unseen hand reducing it to a giant block of scrap. Naruto swung and punched, the unseen shockwaves launching the first mech into the second, then carroming off the third. Before the second could recover, he pounced on it. His organic arm flared with a _second _mass effect field before plunging deep into the gut of the mechanical monstrosity and all but tearing its a new one. Before it could react, he tossing one of her grenade intot the hole he'd left and vaulted away. Not a moment later, and the YMIR blew itself into a thousand pieces.

The third was already turning, preparing to fire-

Naruto spun and chucked the stick grenade at its head. It landed there with a dull _thunk _as the shields failed to intercept the object. They were made to stop bullets, not something that stuck to you. The first bullet was juuust firing from its arm-mounted cannon when he biotically pulled the pin.

There was an almighty explosion of fire and soot as its head, and the rest of it went up. And then it was over.

Shiala gawped. All she could see were the sparking remains of three of the most deadly opponents she might ever face on a battlefield - and not a one of them had touched Naruto. He was already marching away from their charred corpses, stalking toward the still defrosting cryo chamber. What he saw there took his breath away.

"Jack," she hard him croak weakly. "Oh, Jackie...

* * *

><p>Commander Shepard was not happy.<p>

Ever since she'd set foot on this blighted planet, things had gone from bad to worse. Her boiling temper asides, it felt as though she'd been running one errand after another the moment they'd arrived. Liara was silent as the grave, drawn inward upon learning that her mother, Benezia, was here. She didn't know how to console her. Naruto had been good at that. Naruto! She was going to wring his scrawny little neck if he came back without a good explanation!

His mutiny and Tali's illness, coupled with Shiala's defection, had left her in a foul mood and with an itchy trigger finger. All the political bullshit and back-door dealing her made her sick. The only highlight of the trip was watching that prick Anoleus get his scrawny ass hauled off to jail. She wished she could have put a bullet in his skull herself. But she'd gotten her garage pass regardless, and after steamrolling some geth in the Mako, some of her anger had been vented on the hapless synthetics. Nothing like rolling over robots to soothe your ragged nerves.

Then came Peak Fifteen. It was little better.

Now she pumped her shotgun furiously, blasting everything inside. Most of which hampened to be giant bugs. Giant! Bugs!

The hot labs were an absolute clusterfuck in every way-what the hell were Rachni doing here?!-even with the extra firepower she'd brought along. Liara was of absolutely no help at all, Kaiden was terrified by the giant bugs and Wrex seemed to delight in killing the overgrown insects. She just wanted to activate the neutron purge, find Benezia and probably kill her, then get the hell out of dodge.

When the hell was this going to end?

* * *

><p>Naruto was speechless.<p>

Imagining the type of horrors they must have inflicted upon her, he was instead vaguely surprised as the mist cleared to reveal a lithe young woman a fair head shorter than him clad in what looked like leather leggings and with nothing but one or two belts criss-crossing over her upper body to save her modesty. Dark brown tresses covered only a part of her shaved head, sprawled across her face. Every inch of skin he could see from her neck downwards was covered in ink. Despite his earlier musings not one single scar marred her body as far as he'd could see. Instead, this beautiful ink covered her body flawlessly, intricate flowing symbols some, others he couldn't even begin to guess at.

She had delicate, almost elfin features, high cheekbones and full red lips that looked far better suited on her than anyone else.

Except drop-dead gorgeous.

She was beautiful.

She started to stir just as he approached, but before she became aware of the change in her imprisonment her biotics flared. Her eyes shot open as she came to the mistaken realization that she was still in danger, and a hoarse voice let out a loud stream of vulgar curses. Had he been a green genin still, the man might have blushed at some of them. Instead, he shouted at her.

"Jack! Its me!"

She blinked groggily, her eyes fluttering open and shut.

"Who...?" Her words were incoherent as he ripped the shackles off her.

The neck restraint finally broke apart and Jack staggered forward, free at last. She put a hand on her forehead and grimaced. Clearly she was feeling the effects of the cryostasis. In front of her, Shiala could see Naruto quietly fretting over her, a hand closing around arm and helping her to her feet.

Suddenly Jack's eyes focused on the lumbering hulk in front of her. Even at that distance Shiala saw it and recognised it for what it was. The battle awareness. A split second that races by while you assess your options and instantly decide what's the best outcome. She'd seen it before in her fellow huntresses. But this look was different. Fierce. Feral. Her lips parted, preparing to shout a warning-

And Jack punched him in the face. _Hard._ The blond yelped.

"Ow! Fuck! Why'd you hit me?!"

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Naruto?"

"No shit!"

Her dark eyes lit up as he stepped back towards her, ruefully massaging his jaw. A gorgeous white grin streaked across her mouth as she stood and ran to him like a child welcoming her father home from a long business trip. He could only stand dumbfounded as her lithe form slid gracefully across the room to him. Had she always been so beautiful? Why had he never noticed that his childhood companion was this sexy, ink-skinned woman? Had the past years changed her? Sure her hair had grown out a little and then there were the tattoos, but she otherwise looked the same as she always had-

Until she clobbered him again.

"Jackie, what the hell?!"

_"That,_ was for leaving me, dumbass," she snarled, shaking some life back into her hand. "Don't you ever, and I fucking mean _ever_, do that shit again!" Shiala wasn't sure if she should intervene or laugh; the sight of the Terminus' most feared man cowering before a tattooed convict was almost enough to make her do both.

"Alright, alright!" he begged. "No more stupid stunts!"

"And this-

Naruto gulped, readying himself for another punch.

-is because I missed you, dumbass."

She wrapped her arms around his neck with a tiny and soft sigh. Still in his state of shock, it took Naruto a moment to react and place his own arms around the thin waist of his fellow renegade and exile. He buried his face in her neck, enjoying the warmth of her pale skin on his cheeks and the smell of her hair in his nostrils. He felt her arms tighten around him and her breathing quickened, her breasts heaving up and down against his chest. A lone tear trailed down his cheek. It wasn't a dream. Not an illusion. She was well and truly back. His best friend.

"I missed you too..."

After almost a full minute, they pulled away from one another, his blue eyes looking deeply into hers. Then she saw his face.

"Shit," she breathed. "what the hell happened to you?"

Naruto cringed as a hand rose to cup his battered visage. Even with the medigel coating it, it still stung like hell. But not as much as it did to admit his folly.

"YMIR mech." he grumbled. "I took a rocket to the face. Damn thing's probably gonna scar like crazy."

"Well, you were always ugly." Jack snorted, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes roved his body. "Looks like I missed out on some good shit."

"More than you know." Shiala chimed. Jack's eyes cut to her like razors.

"Who the hell're you?"

Shiala frowned, displeased by the accusation. "I should be asking you the same question...it seems we went through a lot of trouble for just one person. We walked into this deathtrap for you. Were you worth it, I wonder?"

"What was that, bitch?!"

"Ladies!" Naruto barked, getting between them. "Please! Jack, this is Shiala. She's a friend. She helped me bust you out."

"Oh." she blinked, her scowl greatly diminished in the wake of this fact.

"Can we have a minute?" Naruto asked.

"Just remember that we don't have much time."

Sighing, the Phantom returned his attention to his long lost friend.

"I think I missed a few things, too." he eyed her tattoos. To his surprise, her cheeks actually colored a bit. "What brought those on?"

"Yeah, well, I had to to _something _with my free time. Look at you, though! You got big!" Just like that, they slipped back into their old rhythm. There was a fondness that hadn't been there before he realized. Whatever awkwardness that had existed between them at Pragia was all but gone, greatly reduced in the wake of their reunion. When last they'd seen each other they'd been little more than children. Now they were older. Wiser, maybe, but in a lot of ways, it was still the same. Things had changed. Many things. But not everything.

"Heh, I'm still taller than you."

"Still an ass, though."

"Speaking of which, is that an "N" on your...

"Watch it there, soldier boy," she slugged him in the shoulder. "Might give a girl ideas."

"I was going to say shoulder."

"Right...

She wore a subtle expression of amusement on her face as she returned his gaze, her grin turning slightly devious as she leaned in. Naruto found himself doing the same, his hands drifting down to her hips as Jack, his best friend since he'd wound up in this strange verse, leaned the rest of the way and pressed her lips to-

_'Oi, oi, oi, what the hell am I doing?!'_ his mind raced at the speed of light, unable to undersand what was happening. _'What the hell is she doing?! I need to stop this before...before...be...fore.._

-to his.

It was his very first kiss. Something Tali has never been able to do. It felt...wonderful.

His mind exploded into white as his arms took control, spreading themselves across her back. He was so completely taken aback by her kiss that he hardly noticed when his left hand began to cup her firm ass and his right palm took up residence on her jaw. He deepened the kiss as he pressed his body against hers, pushing her back against the nearest wall. Her hands were just as explorative, her nimble fingertips running along his chest and stomach. Finally, his mind rebooted enough to end the fevered liplock.

"Hell," she breathed as he pulled away. "You really did miss me."

"Yeah, well, I'd get lonely without your foul mouth."

Her smile grew wider. She looked so, so happy. A part of him wanted to see that smile on her face every day. He didn't care about Saren. With Jackie back by his side, he felt better than he ever had. And then his mind conjured up an image of Tali. Guilt crested over him.

"Jack, there's something I need to tell-

An explosion rocked the Purgatory from aft to stern. And then another. And another still. They were coming almost every second now, not the explosives one might expect from a bomb. Someone was firing on the ship, blasting it from the outside. Something...big. Naruto didn't even want to think about what it was. But fate decided to tell him anway. From out of nowhere, a crimson beam lanced into the cryo chamber, ripping through the hull and opening the void space only feet away. Lights flickered and died. Just like that, the ship was cut in twine.

Then they saw it.

Massive in scope and size, it dwarfed anything he had ever seen. Like a giant space squid. He would've found it funny if its prescence hadn't terrified him. Shiala flung up a biotic shield around them, narrowly preserving a pocket of oxygen, a few critical seconds. This close, he felt an oily prescence in his brain, something trying to claw its way into his mind and command him. With an effort he beat it back, ignoring the eerie whispers it pushed at his brain, demanding that he give himself up, that he submit. And then it spoke.

**"I am Sovereign and you will die human. You have no chancenochancenochancenonenoneatallyouwillbesweptasidelikedustinthewinds...**

"What the hell?" Jack seemed to hear it as well, fingers clenching around her head.

"No time to explain!" He darted back up what was left of the stairwell, dragging her with him. "Go, go, go!"

"Naruto, you'd better-

"DAMNIT WOMAN, I SAID GO!"

His hand slapped on the door. Nothing happened. No power. And still the void stretched around them. He could see the giant vessel-Reaper, his mind screamed!-powering up its main gun again. And he reacted. A fling of his wrist reached up and wrenched, tearing the apparatus aside. The lance of death seared past, striking open void. He could feel his nose bleeding from the effort. The damned thing was getting closer, and he could feel it trying to pull them back into the black. Kurama shouted something at him. A desperate plan, one that might fail. But one that might succeed as well.

And for once, he agreed with him.

"What are you going to do?" Jack eyed him warily as he grabbed her, then Shiala.

"Something very stupid." it was the only other ption.

Kurama's return had left him with just a touch of chakra before he'd stopped him from reforging his chakra coils. It had also left him with some very unpleasant memories. He used that chakra now, focused on a single memory above the rest, a technique he'd only glimpsed in his mind's eye. His brain locked onto a signal-one he'd unknowingly planted weeks before-just through the simple acting of touching a certain asari's shoulder without thinking. It was similair to a biotic charge, really. He just had to focus and, in theory he should.

He felt himself stretch like a rubberband, and them with him.

And then they were gone.

* * *

><p>"BLOODY HELL?!"<p>

Shepard jumped slightly as a crashing red blur slammed into the deck less than a foot away from her. Even then she daren't take her eyes off the asari in front of her. The woman was fast. Damn was she fast. She had not even seen that first shot. She'd resolved not to miss the second.

Of course, all that changed the moment three people popped out of the void and landed next to her.

"Naruto?!"

"Never...again...!" the blond rasped. "I almost died! I'm never doing that shit again!"

"Damn straight you aren't!" A tattooed woman in his arms gasped.

"Most...wise..." Shiala seconded, flopping onto the deck beside them.

"Hey at least we made it...eh?"

His humor drained away when he saw the scene in which they'd landed.

"Wow...what the hell happened?"

"Look who joined the party." Wrex rumbled. "Might want to check on blue, over there. We're out of medigel."

"Shit."

Liara was still holding her stomach, cringing slightly. She hadn't expected the gun. Hadn't thought her mother would actually shoot her. It simply defied belief in her mind. So did Naruto's sudden and unexpected arrival from seemingly nowhere. One moment he hadn't been there, and the next he had. It spat in the face of all logic. She watched him stand slowly, his eyes traveling to her. Then her mother. Back again. His lips pursed in a thin line as he bent towards her. An Omnitool flashed. Moments later, the cooling sensation of Medigel coursed across his stomach.

She murmurred her thanks, but something in the blonde's eyes told her he hand't heard it. He rose again, his eyes locking on the gun totting asari standing above them on the catwalk.

"I'm guessing you're Benezia." his words ended in a frown.

"Have you ever faced an Asari Commando Unit before, Phantom?" Benezia asked gravely. "Few humans have."

"I might know a thing or two about that." Naruto hissed.

Shepard blanched.

"You're injured. You can't face her in your cond-

Naruto's only response was a physical one. The air crackled with chakra, not just his own, but that of his former tenant, an eerie mixture of scarlet and onyx. a threat, Shepard knew at once, Naruto wrapped in tendrils that ebbed and pulse dangerously. They looked like snakes, writhing and ready to strike. Shepard winced, lifting her hands in defeat, letting him walk away. He stepped up past Liara's limp form then past Kaiden, then, finally, Wrex, his eyes straying slightly as he took in their haggard forms. His head inclined softly.

"She's mine," he hissed.

"Your strength is irrelevant, Phantom." Beneza sniffed, frowning at the human as he stalked up the steps. Her eyes flitted to the exhausted forms of Jack and Shiala. "You may have survived the trap we laid for you in Purgatory, but your prescence here changes nothing. You will not win this confrontation, no matter who you bring into the equation-

She never saw the shockwave coming until it was far too late. One moment the Crimson Biotic was standing before her- the next, his fist slammed into the deck and all hell broke loose. Asari Commando and Geth flew apart like leaves scattered on the wind, torn from the catwalks and dashed angrily onto the ground below. Another flick and they found themselves ground to a gory mass on the walls. Still Naruto came on, eyes white hot and filled with untempered fury.

"You're indoctrinated." he spoke the word almost casually. "So, techinically, you're not responsible for your own actions at the moment. However," The crack of his knuckles split the sudden silence, "I'll be purging you of that, now." A red mass effect field shrouded him, warping the metal around them as he walked. "Though I'd be lying if I said I won't kick your ass first."

A small part of her, the tiny bit of her mind that she'd sealed away, rejoiced. The other, larger half dismayed.

Impossible.

"You have no hold over-

"BENEZIA!"

That was the only thought she had time for before the Phantom of the Terminus pounced upon her, his synthetic fist sheathing itself into her stomach.

Another blow, and then his hand was around her throat, crushingly tight, the tips of his fingers digging into the sensitive folds at the back of her neck, lifting her clean off her feet. She froze, breath caught in her chest, not daring to move lest he do more damage there. Her wide eyes locked onto his wild red ones. Then there was only pain. She fought, lashing out with a furious warp. That proved a mistake. The fist came down on her head with a faintly metallic crunch-once, twice, three times. Each blow jarred his hand, sent pain shooting up his arm.

But a lot less pain shot up Benezia's.

Suddenly he had her by the head, forcing her down to the deck. Outside her tank, the Rachni Queen shrieked. Benezia barely heard it. Everything was growing faint. White. Fuzzy. Her vision blurred and dimmed as the iron vice around her face intensified, scarlet sparks spraying up and down his organic arm. A sonorous shriek tore through her mind, blotting out all else. And then, suddenly...

_Peace._

**A/N: And there we have it! Jack and Naruto are reunited once again?! But what will happen now? WHO KNOWS?! Anything! I enjoyed writing this chapter to be honest-the words just flowed and it was easy to keep everyone in character. Naruto's afraid to talk to Tali atm; he's never actually had a girlfriend before this, and he's afraid of botching it up. Add to that the fact that he's still not all that experienced when it comes to love, AND the fact ****he's determined to save Jack, and its all kinds of a mess. Now Kurama is back! In a lesser form, but his return is not a sign of good things to come...**

**And that red spark that hurt Tali and entered her bloodstream? What purpose was that for? You'll soon see but suffice it to say, ladies and gentlemen. She may be ill now, but she will not, by any means, be dependent on that suit for much longer! Yes, ****ultimately, this fic is about to take a hard turn into the unknown, and not everyone will be making it back from this little joyride...**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one with blood sweat and tears, so I hope to hear what you think! Pairing is still somewhat up in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out.**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview)**

_Naruto had never fought so hard in all his life._

_Shockwaves shook the facility as the two biotics collided, human and turian. Warp fields dented metals, singularities ripped the broken bodies of geth off the ground and crushed them into oblivion. The Phantom of the Terminus charged and Saren met him head on, their biotic advance stalling out as their arms locked together._

_"We are alike, you and I." Saren hissed as they grappled with one another in the surf of Virmire, each vying for dominance. "We're both a union of synthetic and organic." He grunted as he felt his organic arm begin to break, the limb slowly crumpling beneath the hybrid's superior strength. "Don't you see boy?! We know what's coming!" the harsh bleat of the bomb Shepard had laid threatened to drown out what followed next. "You know they can't be stopped! Your sacrifice is meaningless! Your defiance only guarantees our extinction!"_

_With a mighty heave he flung the blond away, hurling him into a nearby bulkhead. Breath burst from the blond's lungs._

_"Join us." he said. "Or die."_

_Blue eyes flashed red._

_"Never."_

_In an impossible movement he flowed around the former Spectre, his body seeming to bend around the bullet even as it leapt from the turian's handgun. Then he was gone._

_The next thing Saren knew, the next thing he could comprehend, something struck his abdomen with more force than he could ever hope to conceive-beneath the single, explosive punch, the turians defense shattered, his skin tore, his blood boiled and evaporated-and the base of his spine liquefied. He remained still for a few seconds as his confidence melted away, twitching spasmodically. Then he pitched forwards with a wet gurgle, vomiting blood and collapsing in a boneless heap. A blow of that calibre would've ended a lesser warrior. Not him._

_Instead he was forced to lay there as Naruto walked over to him. Idly, he glanced down at his hand._

_There was no blood._

_"I'm nothing like you."_

_A dull thum of a sound was his answer. In the distance, only a few miles away, he saw the base detonate. Blue eyes bulged._

_"Ah, balls."_

_His biotics flared, a crimson dome encompassing him as death roared towards them. He prayed it would be enough._

_And then nuclear fire consumed him._

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	11. Center

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I still have a steady source of income. Bad news? I _despise_ my job. Want a hint. W. There. Yes*shudders* I've been working there as an unloader, but I won't say anymore than that; don't want any of my bosses knowing WHO I am exactly, and getting rid of me. I'll probably be hunting for a new job, soon anyways; because I can't take much more of this crap.**

**I am a human being, and I deserve to be treated like one, not shat upon!**

**So that's basically it ya'll, and it annoys the ever-loving piss out of me. Slaving away for seven days in a row doesn't help. Working for stupid ol' Wally world stresses me out even when I'm not at work, and knowing that they just might cut me because they're retarded assholes only makes things worse. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wish I could just make money writing on this site all day but, alas, that's not possible. If it is I would gladly do it.**

**But there we go, I'm alive and kicking, and working my ass off day and night. **

**And so, I happily bring you the next chapter of...**

**...BRING DOWN THE SKY! People who were expecting shit to hit the fan? Here it comes...bombs are dropped!**

_"Love. __Sometimes it hurts, terrifies you, makes you cry, breaks your heart...but that's when you know its worth more than anything else imaginable._

_~?_

**Center**

_"Are you insane?"_

"You are correct, sir!" Naruto chirruped, happily lounging on his cot and, to Shepard's dismay, looking as though he were king of the entire universe. Smug bastard probably felt like he was. "Or is it ma'am? I always get the two confused. Wouldn't it be sir, ma'am, yes ma'am?" his head tilted, burying itself deeper into the pillow. "Or is it ma'am, yes ma'am, sir. I can never tell the difference. Maybe its-

"Naruto!"

Her helmet came sailing at Naruto's head; only to be caught in a gentle biotic pull moments later. He held it there a moment longer, the crimson mass effect field cradling the dented carapace alofts, before lowering it to the floor. His fingers flicked again, and she found herself flattened against the wall by a giant red hand, frozen against the steel. Not a once did those blue eyes open to regard her.

Not.

Once.

"Would you kindly stop throwing things at me, now?" he asked, his closed eyes still regarding the ceiling. "Blink once for yes, if you please. I don't want this to hurt anymore than it has to." He made a violent clenching motion, and his biotics crushed her tighter, drawing a pained gasp from the Commander. Shepard blanched. Right...she'd nearly forgotten; Naruto liked to use dark energy to create hard-light constructs; much like the massive palm currently flattening her to the door.

Shepard blinked.

"Thatta girl, Isabelle-chan." His hand waved again, and she flopped forward, gasping. Eyes still closed, Naruto pivoted, tossing her helmet back to her. She caught it dead in the chest; the battered thing clunking solidly against the thick plating she still wore. She hadn't had time to change after blowing the hot labs an hour before.

Carrying a half-dead asari matriarch had _not _done wonders for her mood, either.

Noveria was long behind them now, little more than a bluish jewel from orbit, but Naruto's return made the icy planet look positively warm by comparison. For in his abrupt return, he had brought some complications at his heels.

Many complications.

"Are you going to tell me why we have a starving girl raiding the mess hall?" she asked at last. Naruto laughed almost immediately.

"That'd be Jackie. My best friend. Best godamn biotic I've ever seen."

"...she isn't going to be leaving anytime soon, is she?"

His head tilted back towards her, considering. Then he grinned.

"Ma'am, no. Ma'am. Aha! Got it that time!"

Chakwas's tender care had dealt with the devastating whiplash that came with what the boy called Hiraishin, a technique he swore he'd never use again. She promised him the blindness would be temporary at best; yet another reason he seemed unkeen on using such a unique technique. His momentarily loss of vision, however, seemed only to have made him even more snarky than usual. It wasn't helping! Not at all!

"Will you please take things seriously for once?!"

"What?" The blond sighed and finally opened his eyes, whiskered cheeks pinching in an a rare frown. "What's there to be serious at besides sleep right now? We won. Both of us. His fingers flicked towards her, creating a small flinch in the elder operative. "Me and you. Saren's been foiled again at his own schemes. The Rachni queen's gone, promising to behave. Blue's mom is gonna be just fine," She didn't even want to _start _in on his nickname for Liara, "We know where to go next-_aaaand_ I got my Jackie back! All's well that ends well."

Isabelle Shepard went very still against the wall, a touch of renewed dread plucking at her breast. Jackie. That last sentence had her more than a touch worried. He was acting as though Tali didn't even exist. Didn't he know? Granted, he hadn't been able to see when they'd brought him up to medbay, but even so...even so...

"You attacked me, assaulted my crew, hijacked our ship-

"And?" Those blue eyes, now slightly milky as they recovered, swiveled blindly in her general direction. "What of it?"

"You betrayed us."

Ah.

There it was.

Out in the open, then.

...would it help if I said I was sorry.

A silence followed that, weighed down by regrets on her part. Stubborness on his.

Naruto met Shepard's glare with one of his own, unseeing eyes utterly unrepentant for his actions. "I was never officially a part of this crew. I'm free to come and go as I please. No jurisdiction, remember? Besides," he gave his hand a jaunty little wave back in Shiala's direction, "I don't recall any of you _offering _to help me." that young face puckered, as though he'd just bitten into a sour lemon. "I admit, things got a little crazy when the ol' fox had his little power play there at the end. Wrex attacked. I defended myself. Things just went haywire after that. S'ides, I'm back again and that's what matters."

"And Tali?"

A flicker of pain crossed his face. "What about Tali?"

Shepard bristled, the realization overtaking her all at once.

He didn't know.

_**SLAP!**_

Her hand cracked out in a biotic roundhouse, knocking the unsuspecting boy from his bed. He was up in an instant, snatching her by the wrist when she moved to hit him again. They grappled for a moment, mass effect fields flaring furiously before he finally pushed her back. Almost immediately a hand went to his cheek, cradling the dent she'd given him.

"Ow?! What the hell was that for, 'ttebayo?!

Didn't he know?

She thrust a finger into his jest, jabbing.

"Because of you, Tali's in a coma! How is that all well, huh?!"

That slapped the smile right off his face better than her hand ever had.

_...what?!"_

* * *

><p>Tali was in agony.<p>

There could be no other word for it; the way her body convulsed on the table against her will, creating muted thumps int he medbay as she unthinkingly strained back upon forces she couldn't see. Against the restraints she was powerless. Even so, their bindings did nothing but hold her in place. Numbness was not felt, nor it seemed, did her body want it.

All the pain, the agony as her immune system struggled to fight-to accept-what was being done to it, unable to make up its mind.

She felt it all.

The spark that first surged through her bloodstream was a wildfire now; a raging inferno in her veins that left her drenched in her own fever sweat. Her body shook and shivered and shuddered inside the suit, swimming in antibiotics. drugs that only served to blunt the razor edge of pain, not break it. She cried and whimpered in her mind, her mouth refusing to move, refusing to open, refusing to acknowledge the pain.

Because she was certain that, once she started screaming, she wouldn't be able to stop.

_Just let go,_ a dark voice crooned inside her head._ Stop fighting. Give in, and it'll be alright. He doesn't love you. He never did..._

Fingertips ghosted across her flesh, something she shouldn't have been able to feel. Tali could hear a voice speaking now. As though from a great and terrible distance, the angry, dismayed tones telling her the opposite of what the other voice said, that she had to be strong, that she had to fight, that he was so, _so_ sorry...

By the fleet, she was hallucinating again. Wasn't she? If she wasn't...then she felt wretched. She didn't want to be seen like this.

_Naruto._

He'd done this to her, accidentally exposed her and _keelah_, despite that, she still loved him. More than anything. She wanted to make things right between them-after she gave a good slap for scaring her!-but the pain it was everyone and everything and everywhere and she could barely focus despite that...

And all the while, that little red spark, something so small, worked. Hardening her. Faster. Better. Strengthening her. Making her...

...stronger from within.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, more bombs were being dropped.<p>

"He...what?!"

The tray clattered out of Jack's hands with a dull thud-her foodstuff all but forgotten at the table. Her body hunched forwards across the seat like a coiled viper, every muscle tensed-ready-coiled to spring at the woman who'd just dropped the bomb on her, shattering her fragile little world to glass. It took everything she had not to reach out and crush her throat. Only moments ago, she'd been calm, cool, collected even. She'd had her center.

Damnit, for once, she'd actually been _happy!_

Thoughts of bringing food up to Naruto's room, of cuddling with him, maybe stealing another kiss, all dashed. Gone.

Now, the temptation was there.

Lingering.

Garrus swore, snatching up his own tray and beating a hasty retreat. "And on that note, I'm out of here." He had no desire to be paste!

Because Jack was positively _glowing_, tiny blue embers of biotic power burning around her body as she fought to control herself. Destroy. Her first instinct was to do what she'd done since she was little; find the problem and smash it, beat it down until it couldn't hurt her anymore.

Sadly, that wasn't an option.

She'd seen Naruto enter the medbay, that listless, wandering gait telling her his vision had yet to fully return. But the way he'd clenched his jaw-all but ignored her as he swept out of the elevator...something was wrong and she knew it. She simply hadn't know the who, what, when, where, or why. Shiala had been awfully quiet on the matter.

Now she knew why.

And it hurt.

It hurt, it hurt, it hurt, to know that someone else had swooped in and laid

Shards of agony stabbed at her heart, but she stubbornly fought the pain, the tears, the instinctive urge to shout and swear and scream and rail against what she'd been told. That damn alliance woman had made some stupid offhand comment again. Ordinarily she would've been ignored, but when the Krogan said something too, then Blue, agreeing with her, well...

"Whaddya mean he's with somebody?!"

Liara flushed. "I...ah...yes. He is. I mean, I think he might be. I am...uncertain, now."

"Eh?" Ashley Williams, for her part, didn't seem much fazed by the outburst. "You didn't know?" Her head tilted towards the sick bay. "She's in there. Got messed up pretty bad when he went to bust you out. Punctured her suit and everything; she's got a bad infection-

Deep in Jack's mind, wires crossed. A quarian. He was with a quarian. Somehow, that rankled her even more. She'd thought he was with another human, or at the very least, an Asari. That stung badly enough, but...to hear this...it was...INFURIATING!

Her fist smashed down on the table, eliciting a series of charigned looks.

"A fucking quarian?!"

"She seems nice." Alenko suggested. A withering look silenced him.

Ashley's eyes flashed, seemingly oblivious to the feelings of DOOM leaking from the tattooed woman like a cracked sieve. "Unlike you. I hope you're worth it after all the trouble he went through to bust you out of jail."

On any other occasion, Jack would've destroyed her for saying that. Torn her to pieces. But the wide-eyed look said otherwise. It told her the Alliance broad was either very, very stupid, or she'd simply assumed her to know. The chilly looks were bad enough, but knowing...knowing...KNOWING...

She stood stiffly, her body on autopilot. A strand of hair swung down before her face and, numbly, she pushed it aside. Then she started walking.

Wrex rumbled aloud; it was a deep, throaty laugh. "This oughta be good."

"Where are you going?" Shiala, silent until now, called after her. She made as if to rise-

"Leave her!" Shepard swung out of the elevator, looking frantic. "Don't touch her, anyone!"

"Oh, Goddess!"

"Liara, what're you-

Jack didn't answer, even as Liara hastened after her, no doubt, to ensure that her comatose mother wasn't caught up in the fireworks. Or maybe she cared, too. Jack didn't know. Didn't care. She was seeing red, all the room falling into a scarlet haze around her, as though she were trapped at the bottom of a bloody ocean. And there would be blood. She'd thought she had no claim to him until that kiss. To have something like that, to experience it again, have all those feelings rushing back all at once...

...no. There would be a reckoning for this.

When the guard at the door tried to stop her, she flung him into a bulkhead. Then she pried the locked doors open. With her bare hands. Steel yielded before her with an explosive screech, alarms sounding as she took her first steps into the sealed bay.

Ohhhh, he had some explaining to do!

Then she saw him. The quarian first, then, him. A flash of pity filled her chest, then ignited into a firerstorm of jealousy.

Naruto.

Her lifelong friend stood there at the end of the bay, grasping her small hand in his. He glanced up at the sound of the broken doors, looking towards her. Yes, a reckoning. A reckoning indeed. Jack stormed forward, a fist clenched, her jaw set in an angry, stubborn line.

"Before we do this," he began, "I don't suppose I could ask that we take it to the cargo bay?"

Nope.

Her hand grasped the collar of his jacket and bodily hauled him away from the quarian, drawing him forward to her.

"You," she started slowly, "have some fuckin' 'splaining to do!"

**A/N: YES, I went there with that last line. Aaand there we go! I know it took terribly long to update this, but I've been dealing with work and a nasty bout of depression lately. Seriously, I never thought one job could beat a man down so much, but apparently I was wrong! Honestly, if I didn't have this site, if I couldn't WRITE, I'm fairly certain I would've gone crazy by now. Speaking of cruel craziness, I'm sure you're all looking forward to the insanity that's about to follow with Naruto, Tali, and Jack.**

**Needless to say, I'm about to up the ante in that regard.**

**So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would Ya Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! Two this time! MAJOR CANON SHIFT A-COMING! And you guessed it...NO MORE SUIT NEEDED FOR TALI!**

**(Preview!)**

_Naruto's jaw clicked open._

_The warning died on his lips as Tali released the seals on her helmet, pulling back the veil that covered her head. He watched, dumbstruck, numb, as she painstakingly removed every layer that separated her face from him, deliberately destroying the lone barrier that'd stood between them all this time._

_"Its alright." she soothed. "I'll be fine; I'll even explain it to you later.  
><em>

_Dread gripped his heart, throttling him._

_"No you won't! Put that back on right now! Before you...you...you..._

_"I want you to see me," when she spoke, her voice lacked the distinctive warble of her audio filter, now unplugged. "I NEED you to see me without this...this... thing in the way." She sounded small and afraid, and oh so very sad. _

_As he looked on, her three-fingered hands reached around, hooked inside the helmet, and pulled. It came free with a soft hiss of pressurized air, the violet glass that always hid her face now falling away to clank numbly on the floor. Her helmet followed suit seconds later._

_Dark hair tumbled down around her face, and, there she was. His heart broke, came back together, shattered all over again. It was like meeting her again for the first time-falling in love!-all over again. Pale eyes shone out at him, her mouth curled in a small, shy, tentative smile._

_"Well," she spoke, her voice a breathy whisper. "What do you think."_

_Only one word came to mind._

_...beautiful."_

* * *

><p><em>Man and turian collided; and one lost an arm.<em>

_The over-jagged sound of metal rending metal keened out once, followed by a warbling cry of pain. They broke apart, came together, and broke apart again, trading blows and bullets until their weapons clicked empty; overheated and slagging from the rapid rate of fire._

_Naruto tossed his shotgun aside started forward, slowly._

_"You hurt her." his voice was a hiss, a physical edge. If a knife could speak, this would be what it sounded like. Bloody, beaten, and battered, he came on, the skies darkening overhead. "Tali...Jackie...You hurt them..._

_Like a slow-moving train building up steam; his advance started slow and began to accelerate. Craters appeared in the floor-one for each step-steel sundering beneath his striding boots. Saren's broken arm lay clutched in his hand, the artificial limb still spitting sparks as it was cast aside. The bright sun of Virmire lit his eyes an unholy red, his body swaying in the backlash of the Normandy's still departing engines, a puppet cut from its master's strings._

_ He didn't glance back as Ashely walked/stumbled up the ramp to safety. He didn't see the Normandy shrink into the distance. Didn't see anything at all, except the bastard before him._

_Fangs flashed, those eerie red lights trailing around him, almost like a second skin._

**_...YOU HURT THEM!"_**

_Saren physically shrank back at the sight, eyes agoggle as the blond stormed towards him._

_"Sh-Shoot!" He barked at the geth behind him, drawing back. "SHOOT HIM!" The first of many fired then; pinged harmlessly off his shields, diffusing in a shower of old and cold sparks. The second he slapped aside with his geth arm, contemptuously catching the high speed projectile in hand._

_The next slammed right through him, blowing a hole in his torso. Another shore off his human arm, suit and all. He did not slow. All the while the incessant thrum of the bomb grew steadily louder in their ears. Naruto kept coming. The fingers of his remaining hand, the geth hand, found Saren's throat and began to squeeze._

_"This. Ends. Now."_

_CRACK!_

_Something broke._

**Did Naruto succeed?! Is Saren dead?! Did I actually kill that fucker off early?! Stay tuned to find out!**

**R&R!=D**


	12. Bombs Away

**A/N: ****So, I've been going over reviews, and an anonymous reviewer said something that really resonated with me. I love to write. But sometimes, I feel that this gift owns me, rather than I, owning it. Its like a beast inside me, this urge to create, but I can't control it very well, which results in a LOT of new stories. So as of last night, and continuing throughout the week, I'm purging stories that won't be continued, or works that no one enjoys anymore.**

**Take the latest update for A Fly in the Ointment. Almost nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nadda. Only a meager _three_ reviews at this time for almost five thousand words and a week's worth of work. I don't know if its my mail client being stupid or what, but if not...that's kinda depressing. I mean, I don't fault people for not reviewing and all, but I write this stuff FOR you guys. Not me. I love to bring the joy of literary works to people, but...**

**...it kinda hurts when no one tells me what they think, ya know?**

**Anywho, let me know which ones you feel should be continued, before its too late! Don't worry, many of the major ones will remain, but anything from 2008-2009 is likely going out the window with all the rest of the trash, never to be seen again. This may seem sudden I know, but I'm only purging the forgotten fics that no one cares for. Fear not, its not going to be immediate, but it WILL happen, I simply wanted to get this out as a forewarning.**

**This will be of very few new stories I plan to release, god willing. If I have an idea, I plan to make it a damn good one before I just toss it out there, as I devote myself to my other works, soon to number into the hundreds, and potentially dozens as I whittle them down. I need to reassess why I want to write, for the joy of it, and I can't do that by letting you guys down with old, crappy stories I wrote in my early days.**

**LET THE NEW ERA BEGIN! Also yes, I'm introducing a new character here...**

**And so, I happily bring you the next chapter of...**

**...BRING DOWN THE SKY! People who were expecting shit to hit the fan? Here it comes...bombs are dropped! And all kinds of insanity ensues! Hope it makes ya smile! Uzumaki Crossover will be on point for the next chapter once more as well =D**

_"Nuclear fire, eh? I like the sound of that."_

_~?_

**Bombs Away**

"YOU!" Jack's hand grasped Naruto by the collar of his jacket and bodily hauled him away from Tali's prone form, drawing him into her with a vicious yank. Her eyes aglow with biotic power, body wreathed in eerie azure relief, she looked ever bit an angel of death, come to claim his soul. It was both incredibly terrifying and arousing, all at once. In his head, he knew he could have wriggled free from the smaller girl easily, but something kept him rooted where he stood, looking down into the blazing orbs of his first and only friend in the world.

In hindsight, heading for the hills might have been the better option. Really should have done that.

_"You,"_ she started slowly, infusing every syllable with subtle menace, "have some fuckin' 'splaining to do!"

Naruto started sweating buckets.

"Eh...doc? A little help, here?"

Jack bared her teeth and _hissed. _

"You. Out."

Chakwas darted out of the medbay and locked the door behind her. The phantom cussed.

_"Traitor!"_

Jack shook him before he could continue, turning the words into a strangled gurgle.

Hard.

"Start talking, bub. Now."

He gulped.

"W-W-W-Well, its kinda complicated...?"

"I've got all the time in the world." she released him. "Talk."

Naruto sighed, pinching his nose. "You might not like what I have to say."

"Hey, I'm a big girl." she sniffed, her eyes flashing with renewed fire. "I can take it."

He very much doubted that she could. She'd always been volatile.

"More like take it out on me..."

"What was that?"

So he told her.

Everything.

From the time that he'd left her in that pod so long ago, to being attacked. Losing his arm in the assault, being found by the quarians. Receiving a new limb in place of the one he'd lost, becoming the Phantom of the Terminus. His friendship with Tali, one that escalated into something more. The insanity of Feros and fighting the Thorian...all of it.

And by the end of it all, Jack was silent.

Naruto hated that silence, despised it with every fiber of his being. He had fought through Feros, torn apart Purgatory with nothing but grit and determination, witnessed the technological horrors of Noveria...

...but nothing compared to this.

When faced with the fury of Jack, all courage abandoned him.

There was just something about her when she was angry; something that made him want to go hide under a rock. Of course, it was perfectly natural to fear the wrath of a woman he told himself; especially one just as strong as he, someone who could probably snap him in half with a blink.

"You really love her, don't you?" when she finally spoke, he nearly jumped clear out of his skin.

"I do." it was the first time he'd ever admitted it to anyone other than himself. "She's important to me, Jackie. Really important. I can't just...

It galled him to admit it, but Uzmaki Naruto was in love. That was the crux of everything. The problem that refused to go away, could not-would not-be solved by simply admitting his feelings outright. He cared for Tali, cared for her truly, deeply, eternally. But he cared for Jack, too. He'd met her first and since coming to this strange universe-or was it the future-she'd been the rock he'd learned to lean on during that first, crucial year.

"So where does that leave us?"

Naruto looked away. She grabbed his chin and turned his face back to hers.

"Hello? Earth to dumbass!"

...I don't know. I care about you, too, ya know." Truly, he didn't know what else to say. And how could he? He loved her, too, in his own way. _Just my luck,_ Naruto thought. He hadn't seen her in so many years, yet he wouldn't give her up for the world. Jack was violent, ill-mannered, swore like a sailor when she was pissed, and had a terrible penchant for destroying anything that got in her way. And yet, he wouldn't trade her for the world. She spoke to the darkest part of him in all those wicked ways he shouldn't want, but he did.

He _wanted_ her.

Naruto wanted to run his fingers through her hair and hold her close. To feel her lips on his again. She could give him what Tali never could. Was it wrong of him to think such thing? Just thinking about it felt traitorous; as though he'd committed a mortal sin, the guilt gnawing at his very soul. That Jack clearly wanted him only made matters worse.

"So, basically, you want to have your cake and eat it." If looks could kill, there would be a hole in his head. "You care about this chick," her eyes shifted to Tali's prone form on the nearby cot, "But you want me because you can't do the nasty with her. God, I had no idea you were such an _asshole."_

"What?! No!" Naruto exclaimed, frantically waving his hands. "I didn't say that!"

"But you _were _thinking it." her expression didn't change.

_"Chigau!"_

"What did I tell you about speaking Japanese?!"

"Its your fault for stressing me out!" he cried. "Gah, why do you have to make this so complicated!"

"It isn't complicated!" she snapped back, temper flaring. "Just choose! Me, or her!"

"I CAN'T!"

"So fuck you, and thanks for asking."

A growl. "And? What do you have to say for yourself, then?"

"Eh?"

Her finger poked him in the chest. "I'm talking about leaving me in that pod. You never apologized for leaving me behind like that."

A sudden burst of courage surprised even him.

_"I regret nothing!"_

There was a terrible, awful silence after that.

"Oh? Looks like you've grown a spine since I saw you last."

"Please don't break it."

He hadn't felt such anxiety when he faced down hordes of geth, nor when he'd squared off against Benezia and purged her mind of Sovereign's influence. Even grappling with a malevolent presence, an entity as alien as to him as it was fathomless, didn't compare to his. _Even Saren himself_ failed to instill such primal dread in him.

But just looking at Jack, he felt terror as he never had before. The way her dark hair, freed from its ponytail to loft in some unseen breeze shading her eyes, told him all he needed to know. Then she smiled.

"Alright. I'll just break something else."

_Meep._

Despite not being in the wrong what-so-ever Uzumaki Naruto knew then, with utmost certainty...

...he was well and truly fucked.

"Any last words?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I _do_ have something to say in my defense." He stepped forward and to his surprise Jack_ retreated._ The sudden lack of aggression baffled him but he didn't question it, even as her back greeted a wall and stood there, ramrod straight. "Something important."

Jack frowned, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. "And that is?" she shifted closer to him, daring to ghost her fingers across his chest.

Now, Naruto knew how Jack's mind worked. He'd had plenty of time to understand her back at Pragia when they were children. Jack was a creature of habit, there was very little one could do to catch her off guard if she was wary of someone. But Naruto wasn't your average everybody; even as she glowered at him, his mind vomited a plan. It was a desperate one, a strategy that involved a great deal of risk rather than reward, but this plan was the only one in which he emerged with his hide intact...and maybe a few scars. It also made him feel like absolute scum.

_'Gah, Tali's gonna kill me for this..._

"W-What're you doing?" Jack's eyes flitted to his, to his lips, back again. Her mouth parted slightly, and rational thought abandoned him. "C'mon, what the hell is this?" She lifted her head to his as he leaned forward, an almost sensual look flitting across her face. The last brick in his wall of resistance crumbled away to dust.

"Running with it."

In a sudden, savage move, Naruto grabbed Jack by the face and kissed her with everything he had. All the suppressed emotion he'd worked so hard to tamp down over the last three hours came unleashed in an instant of inattention, hands pushing flush againsts her, grabbing, squeezing. His fellow biotic didn't resist his in the slightest; quite the opposite. She came alive in his arms, gasping when his tongue found hers, hands tangling in his hair as he bent her backwards over Chakwas's table like a basin.

_"Mhmmmm."_ Jack's moan made his knees weak with want and need. "There we go." Her hand shot out, clearing the desk in a single sweep. Legs locked around him in a vice his hands coming to rest under her rear. She wasn't wearing any underwear beneath the thin fabric of her pants. Oh dear lord...

And in that glorious moment of hesitation-of distraction-Naruto pulled something off of his belt.

_"YOINK!"_

In a flash of red light, the blond vanished.

"Ah!" The flash-bang grenade went off at Jack's feet a moment later, turning her world white. "Why you little...?!" Jack snarled as a harsh bang resounded in her ears, swearing now as she scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands. Once. Twice. Three times. By the time her eyesight had cleared Naruto was long gone. At first she didn't understand where he'd gotten off to-how he'd managed to escape the sealed medical bay and get away in less than thirty seconds...

...until she heard a muted thump in the vents overhead. She snatched up her shotgun and blasted the door open.

"GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!"

Needless to say, all hell broke loose.

* * *

><p>The pain was gone.<p>

What had once been a raging fire in Tali's veins was now little more than a dying ember, still burning, but quietly. Her body lay utterly still, refusing to trust the sudden lack of pain; afraid to accept that perhaps, the last of her ordeal was truly over. Even then, full motor control didn't immediately return to her. Nerves numbed by pain and fever refused to respond. At first, it took all her effort just to twitch a finger, just to breathe. She was conscious and yet not, hearing voices, seeing things that weren't truly there.

Dimly she became aware of a return to reality, of new voices rising over the imagined ones. Naruto? And someone else, someone she didn't recognize. Her world swam again, and when next she woke, all had gone quiet again. She was left alone with her thoughts, and a traitorous body that refused to obey her. How long? Days? Weeks? Months? Years?

Tali knew not how long she had laid there, groaning her in her own fever sweat. How long it took for her to regain control of herself. But finally, _finally _she was able to move a hand. Then a foot. Leg. Sensation crept into her again, her body full of pins and needles from being still for so long.

Eventually, she was able to move.

That proved most unwise.

Weakened by hours of inactivity her legs crumpled the moment they touched down on the deck, sending her sprawling.

Loosened by the strain, her mask came tumbling off.

"Gah!"

Tali reflexively inhaled, braced herself for the pain, for her suit to clamp down and fill her with antibiotics...

...but nothing.

Nothing happened.

Her lungs inhaled the crisp, clean air of the Normandy, and remained unaffected. Her skin didn't have a reaction.

An eerie reflection stared back at her from her visor. And her eyes...

She froze.

First came horror, the emotion mixing into confusion, surprise, as she continued to breath air without a filter, without any sort of consequences. How? So many questions? Not enough answers. Was this a dream? Ow! A sharp pinch to her arm said otherwise. She wanted to cry, scream, weep, and laugh all at once. More emotions came, wiping out the horror, her soul swelling with something she hadn't dared to feel.

Disbelief.

Elation.

"Oh, Keelah...

* * *

><p><em>(Meanwhile...)<em>

"I really don't understand the point of this game, Commander. You move the pieces and...

...you really don't understand the concept of strategy, do you?" she laughed, watching contentedly as he unwittingly maneuvered his forces into her trap.

"I'm the best damn shot in the galaxy. I _think_ I know a thing or two about strategy."

"Second best, Vakarian." Shepard shot back, bright eyes twinkling. "I seem to recall a certain blond beating you the other day."

"Nonsense."

Commander Isabelle Shepard said nothing to that, she merely moved the next piece on the board. Smugly, she waited for him to make the next move. Alright, he'd do it properly this time. She wouldn't trip him up with that smirk of hers, no sir! He remained determined to best her this time. What was the human saying? Third time was the charm? Something like that. Frowning, Garrus moved his own, black piece and-

"Checkmate!" the woman crowed, promptly, knocking it over.

The former C-sec officer growled.

"Commander, I really don't see the point of playing chess."

"I told you, just call me Isabelle. And I'd say its more losing than playing...

"FLEE! Flee for your liiiiives!"

Garrus squawked in surprise as Naruto bounded out of the vents above him, all but bolting past him. The distinctive crack of a shotgun echoed somewhere in the distance, followed by a feminine cackle. Garrus felt all of his hackles rise at the evil laugh. It seemed Jack was hunting, after all.

"Okay...what?"

Shepard shrugged, paying no attention to the ruckus, rearranged the pieces on the board, and beckoned for him to continue.

"Your move, Vakarian."

* * *

><p>"Naruto?"<p>

"Have mercy!" The hounded blond spun around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash all over again. "Not the face! I need the face!" Jack had chased him halfway across the ship before he'd finally lost her in the maze of vents. Now, he cowered at the sound of her voice in the cargo hold, instinctively shielding his face from harm. When no harm was immediately forthcoming, he dared to open an eye.

_Tali?_

Naruto's jaw clicked open.

"Oh. Crap. Look I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Words rushed out of him in a rush, the damn breaking. "I need to tell you, I-

"Naruto." a three-fingered hand rose, intercepting him. "It's alright. I forgive you."

A blink. "Erm...you do?"

"Yes." her helmeted head bobbed once in affirmation. "And I want to show you something."

In the next instant, she reached for her mask.

"Don't-

The warning died on his lips as Tali released the seals on her helmet, pulling back the veil that covered her head. He watched, dumbstruck, numb, as she painstakingly removed every layer that separated her face from him, deliberately destroying the lone barrier that'd stood between them all this time.

"Its alright." she soothed. "I'll be fine; I'll even explain it to you later."

Dread gripped his heart, throttling him.

"No you won't! Put that back on right now! Before you...you...you...

"I want you to see me," when she spoke, her voice lacked the distinctive warble of her audio filter, now unplugged. "I NEED you to see me without this...this... thing in the way." She sounded small and afraid, and oh so very sad.

As he looked on, her three-fingered hands reached around, hooked inside the helmet, and pulled. It came free with a soft hiss of pressurized air, the violet glass that always hid her face now falling away to clank numbly on the floor. Her helmet followed suit seconds later.

Dark hair tumbled down around her face, and, there she was. His heart broke, came back together, shattered all over again. It was like meeting her again for the first time-falling in love!-all over again. Pale eyes shone out at him, her mouth curled in a small, shy, tentative smile.

"Well," she spoke, her voice a breathy whisper. "What do you think?"

Only one word came to mind.

...beautiful."

* * *

><p><em>(Some hours later...)<em>

_War was not beautiful._

It was savage and ugly and brutal, the kind of knock-you-down bloody brawl that no one wanted to brag about. It chewed you up and spit you back out at the slightest provocation. War was a cruel mistress who favored only chaos. She did not cater to fate, she did not believe in destiny, and she showed no mercy to those in her thrall. Anyone who thought otherwise was simply deluding themselves.

Such was the case for Saren.

Virmire was such a place.

Once again, he found himself fighting a fool; someone who did not-could not-understand what he was doing, why he was here.

Man and turian collided; and one lost an arm.

The over-jagged sound of metal rending metal keened out once, followed by a warbling cry of pain. They broke apart, came together, and broke apart again, trading blows and bullets until their weapons clicked empty; overheated and slagging from the rapid rate of fire.

Naruto tossed his shotgun aside started forward, slowly.

"You hurt her." his voice was a hiss, a physical edge. If a knife could speak, this would be what it sounded like. Bloody, beaten, and battered, he came on, the skies darkening overhead. "Tali, back then...Jackie...You hurt them...you tried to use them against me...

Like a slow-moving train building up steam; his advance started slow and began to accelerate. Craters appeared in the floor-one for each step-steel sundering beneath his striding boots. Saren's broken arm lay clutched in his hand, the artificial limb still spitting sparks as it was cast aside. The bright sun of Virmire lit his eyes an unholy red, his body swaying in the backlash of the Normandy's still departing engines, a puppet cut from its master's strings.

He didn't glance back as Ashely walked/stumbled up the ramp to safety. He didn't see the Normandy shrink into the distance. Didn't see anything at all, except the bastard before him.

Fangs flashed, those eerie red lights trailing around him, almost like a second skin.

**...YOU HURT THEM!"**

Saren physically shrank back at the sight, eyes agoggle as the blond stormed towards him.

"Sh-Shoot!" He barked at the geth behind him, drawing back. "SHOOT HIM!" The first of many fired then; pinged harmlessly off his shields, diffusing in a shower of old and cold sparks. The second he slapped aside with his geth arm, contemptuously catching the high speed projectile in hand.

The next slammed right through him, blowing a hole in his torso. Another shore off his human arm, suit and all. He did not slow. All the while the incessant thrum of the bomb grew steadily louder in their ears. Naruto kept coming. The fingers of his remaining hand, the geth hand, found Saren's throat and began to squeeze. Saren scrabbled for something on his belt, and he only squeezed harder.

"This. Ends. Now."

_CRACK!_

Something broke in the same instant that the grenade went off in his unshielded face.

* * *

><p>Jack heard the explosion.<p>

"The hell is he doing?"

He'd insisted on going ahead of the group; alone, no less, to prepare the bomb, leaving her to fight with strangers she didn't know, didn't understand. All for a mission that meant nothing to her whatsoever. Perhaps he was avoiding her, avoiding Tali, trying to avoid the explosion that would happen the moment the three of them were in the same room together.

Perhaps he was just being stupid.

Regardless, she couldn't help but cringe at the sight of that explosion in the distance.

She could only pray the idiot knew what he was doing.

* * *

><p>Naruto had never fought so hard in all his life.<p>

Shockwaves shook the facility as the two biotics collided, human and turian. Warp fields dented metals, singularities ripped the broken bodies of geth off the ground and crushed them into oblivion. The Phantom of the Terminus charged and Saren met him head on, their biotic advance stalling out as their arms locked together.

"We are alike, you and I." Saren hissed as they grappled with one another in the surf of Virmire, each vying for dominance. "We're both a union of synthetic and organic." He grunted as he felt his organic arm begin to break, the limb slowly crumpling beneath the hybrid's superior strength. "Don't you see boy?! We know what's coming!" the harsh bleat of the bomb Shepard had laid threatened to drown out what followed next. "You know they can't be stopped! Your sacrifice is meaningless! Your defiance only guarantees our extinction!"

With a mighty heave he flung the blond away, hurling him into a nearby bulkhead. Breath burst from the blond's lungs.

"Join us." he said. "Or die."

Blue eyes flashed red.

"Never."

In an impossible movement he flowed around the former Spectre, his body seeming to bend around the bullet even as it leapt from the turian's handgun. Then he was gone.

The next thing Saren knew, the next thing he could comprehend, something struck his abdomen with more force than he could ever hope to conceive-beneath the single, explosive punch, the turian's defense shattered, his skin tore, his blood boiled and evaporated-and the base of his spine liquefied. He remained still for a few seconds as his confidence melted away, twitching spasmodically. Then he pitched forwards with a wet gurgle, vomiting blood and collapsing in a boneless heap. A blow of that calibre would've ended a lesser warrior. Not him.

Instead he was forced to lay there as Naruto walked over to him. Idly, he glanced down at his hand.

There was no blood.

"I'm nothing like you."

A dull thum of a sound was his answer. In the distance, only a few miles away, he saw the base detonate. Blue eyes bulged.

"Ah, balls."

His biotics flared, a crimson dome encompassing him as death roared towards them. He prayed it would be enough.

And then nuclear fire consumed him.

Pain grabbed him in a vice and hurled him into oblivion, his shield splintering as a wave of blinding agony washed over him. Blue eyes burst, sclera staining itself scarlet as the radiation smashed his body down, but still, despite the cracks in its surface, the shield held. Armor cracked and shattered, his robotic arm twitching spasmodically as it short circuited beneath the fires of the explosion. He could feel his face peeling, burning, all of his world shrinking to a single pinprick of existence.

Tali.

Jack.

Somehow, someway, he held on.

Somehow, he survived.

It was over in an instant.

Naruto coughed, blowing a smoke ring, squinting into the haze. A toe nudged the remnants of Saren's smoldering body. Of the facility there was nothing but a charred crater; black smoke crackling with nuclear flame; a scene of pure destruction and desolation. Was it over? Just to be safe, he stomped the turian's face in.

Mercifully, it remained still.

"Well, that hurt."

Abruptly, as though mocking those very words, the corpse twitched.

Scarlet light washed over the dead turian, withered lungs shrieking an unholy note of agony. The dead body _screamed._ Before his very eyes the modified turian became something else altogether, its limbs lengthening, the remnants of its jaw an ugly amalgamation of fangs and sharpened canines. And then, j

The beast looked at him.

_**"I! AM! SOVEREIGN!"**_

_"Oh, that is not fucking fair!"_

**A/N: YES, I went there with that last line. Aaand there we go! I know it took terribly long to update this, but I've been dealing with work and a nasty bout of depression lately. Seriously, I never thought one job could beat a man down so much, but apparently I was wrong! Honestly, if I didn't have this site, if I couldn't WRITE, I'm fairly certain I would've gone crazy by now. Speaking of cruel craziness, I'm sure you're all looking forward to the insanity that's about to follow with Naruto, Tali, and Jack.**

**Needless to say, I'm about to up the ante in that regard.**

**So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would Ya Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! **

**(Preview!)**

_Aria smiled._

_"You look quite pleased with yourself."_

_Naruto shrugged her praise off with a smile, the neon pulses of Afterlife lending his whiskered face an almost ethereal glow._

_"Eh, you know how it is. You save one world, you've saved them all."_

_"On that note, I found something that might interest you." when all she got was a baffled look, the asari waved him forward, presenting a datapad in her hand to the baffled blond. "One of my scouts happened upon an undiscovered world at the edge of the Perseus Veil. Given what you've told me about your past, I thought you might want to see it for yourself."_

_Frowning, the Phantom snatched it out of her hands._

_"What are you ta-EH?!"_

_Blue eyes bulged as he beheld the image._

_Reality stared him in the face and laughed; he was looking at five stone faces, beaten, battered and scarred by war, but still the Stone Faces..._

_...of Konoha._

_He was looking at home._

**What does this mean for Naruto?! Stay tuned to find out!**

**R&R!=D**


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